VAR’s Profanity-Filled Error on Luis Diaz’s Offside Goal Against Spurs: The Complete Story

There has been much debate this week over VAR, it’s usage and the officials that are in charge of it. 

After Luis Diaz had a goal against Tottenham controversially ruled out on Saturday, the PGMOL released the full transcript from the VAR room.

The officials involved are: 

Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistant referee 1: Adrian Holmes. Assistant referee 2: Simon Long. VAR: Darren England. Assistant VAR: Dan Cook. Replay operator: Not released. Fourth official: Michael Oliver

VAR: Possible offside, Diaz.

Asst ref 1: Coming back for the offside, mate.

VAR: Just checking the offside. Delay, delay. Give the kick point (the moment Salah passed), let’s go. Kick point please?

VAR official Darren England (left) and VAR assistant Dan Cook (right) were dropped from their roles for upcoming fixtures after the high-profile error

Referee: Yeah, no worries.

Replay operator: So, here we are.

Referee: Wait.

Replay operator: Just get a tight angle.

VAR: Yeah give me 2D line ready after this one from frame two after that.

Replay operator: So frame two there?

VAR: That’s fine. Perfect, yeah. 2D line on the left boot.

Replay operator: Let me just switch angles.

VAR: Romero, I think it is?

Replay operator: I think it might be this angle better? Happy with this angle?

VAR: Yep.

VAR, which was being overseen by England and Cook, ruled out a Liverpool goal at Tottenham, despite replays clearing showing Luis Diaz was being played onside by Cristian Romero

Replay operator: 2D line on the boot?

VAR: 2D line on the boot.

Replay operator: Yep, OK. So 2D line on the boot.

VAR: And stop. Check complete, check complete. That’s fine, perfect. (Play resumes with Spurs free-kick.)

Asst ref 1: Playing. 

Referee: Cheers, mate.

VAR: Thank you, mate.

Referee: Well done, boys, good process.

Replay operator: Wait, wait, wait, wait. The on-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this?

Asst VAR: Yeah.

Replay operator: Are you happy with this?

Asst VAR: Offside, goal, yeah. That’s wrong that, Daz.

VAR: What?

Replay operator: On-field decision was offside. Are you happy with this image? Yeah, it is onside. The image that we gave them is onside.

Asst VAR: He’s played him, he’s gone offside.

VAR: Oh f***.

Replay operator: Delay. Oli (Kohout, PGMOL Hub Ops) says to delay, Oli’s saying to delay.

VAR: Pardon?

Replay operator: Oli’s calling in to say delay the game. The decision is onside.

VAR: Can’t do anything.

Replay operator: Oli’s saying to delay, Oli’s saying to delay.

VAR: Oli?

Fourth official: Yeah.

Replay operator: Delay the game, to delay the game? Stop the game.

VAR: They’ve restarted the game. Can’t do anything, can’t do anything.

Asst VAR: Yeah, they’ve restarted. Yeah. No.

VAR: I can’t do anything. I can’t do anything. F***.