Sweden is taking a stance, NO VAR. According to the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) chairman Fredrik Reinfeldt, the top leagues of Sweden will not implement Video Assistant Referee (VAR) amid the clubs outcry.
In July 2023, teams in Sweden’s professional football leagues were opposed to the implementation of VAR. “If I counted correctly, we have 18 elite clubs and two districts that have said they do not want to introduce VAR,” Reinfeldt stated.
The move by Sweden, a UEFA nation, could be a major step in either eliminating the controversial technology or marking a turning point in how VAR is used.
Vote to remove VAR in Sweden
18 of the 32 professional clubs of Sweden’s first and second divisions renounced VAR, citing that fans were skeptical of what VAR could bring to the equation of Swedish football.
VAR has been implemented all over the world to mixed results, in MLS for example games are often stopped on multiple occasions to review a play on VAR, to many experts it is being used as a crutch by officials who lack the confidence to make decisions.
In other countries like in Argentina, VAR is used and at times the referee of the match will not even review a play but rather make a decision based off of the VAR officials understanding.
VAR is not yet mandatory by UEFA but most, if not, all leagues have adapted it given that in 99% of the world soccer is played using the system.