Wenger slams Premier League clubs for rejecting VAR

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has criticized the decision of Premier League clubs, not to use Video Assistant Referees (VAR) next season .

Speaking after watching his side lose 2-1 to Newcastle on Sunday, Wenger described the verdict as “very, very bad” and warned that it leaves English football “behind the rest of the world.”

Premier League clubs voted on Friday that VAR will not be used in the competition next season, as testing continues in cup games.

Wenger criticised the decision after Arsenal were denied a possible penalty for handball in the first half of their game at St James Park.

“The referee is the referee. What you want is to help the referees. Unfortunately the Premier League has again decided not to go for VAR and personally I believe that is a very, very bad decision.

“The Premier League has been created with people who had a progressive mind and wanted to be in front of the rest in Europe. It worked.

“Overall I believe that with that decision [to not use VAR] we are behind the rest in the world and that every big game this season has been decided by mistakes that could have been avoided with VAR, especially in the Champions League with Manchester City and Liverpool.

“The young generation is used to [VAR] and worldwide they might move away from us because they see that in other countries they do it,” he said.