FIFA Hopeful Var Will Prevent World Cup Controversies

Frozen screens, bendy offside lines and other technical glitches have made the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system a frequent target of derision as the World Cup approaches.

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Two years of testing ahead of the June 14 opening game have left Johannes Holzmueller, the head of FIFA’s Technology Innovation Department, “sweating...because we were unsure if everything works perfectly.

“However now that we go into the World Cup we are quite sure that we will have the best setup that is possible at the moment,” said Holzmueller at a media conference.

But he refused to say the network of digitally-enhanced cameras overseen by experienced assistant referees would be fool-proof in time for the World Cup that kicks off in Moscow.

Ultimately, said Holzmueller, that “it is technology. It can fail.”