The Cyprus Football Federation announced that the investigation into the incident that occurred during the APOEL – AEL match on Matchday 6 of the Cyprus League by Stoiximan, regarding the operation of the VAR system.
The investigation was entrusted to the Referees’ Committee, chaired by Antonio Damato, which completed its review of the case and submitted its findings to the Federation’s Executive Committee.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Arbitration Committee Findings
As part of the investigation, the Arbitration Committee reviewed all available material, including audiovisual footage and relevant reports, and evaluated the procedure based on the current VAR Protocol and the relevant guidelines from FIFA and IFAB.
The investigation yielded specific findings regarding the procedure followed and, in particular, regarding how the incident came to the attention of the VAR team and how the review process was initiated.
To avoid any misunderstanding, it is clarified that, according to the VAR Protocol, in cases of a potential foul warranting a red card, such as spitting, the VAR may review the incident and recommend an On-Field Review (OFR) even after play has resumed. Therefore, in this specific case, the time that had elapsed and the fact that play had resumed were not the subject of the investigation’s findings.
Based on the findings and conclusions of the report, the Disciplinary Committee, as the competent body, will take the necessary actions, including the imposition of appropriate sanctions where warranted by the findings of the investigation. At the same time, specific measures will be taken regarding the procedures and operation of the VAR system, with the aim of ensuring full compliance with the established protocols and preventing the recurrence of similar incidents.
It is also clarified that the investigation did not concern the correctness of the final on-field decision made by the referee following the On-Field Review. According to the Laws of the Game, spitting at any person constitutes an offense punishable by a red card.
