Published on 04.10.2023
The audio recordings capturing discussions among the match officials regarding Luis Diaz’s controversially disallowed goal in the Liverpool vs. Tottenham match have been publicly disclosed.
Liverpool had requested the audio from the referees’ organization, PGMOL, following the contentious incident during their 2-1 defeat. In the first half, video assistant referee Darren England did not intervene when Diaz was incorrectly flagged for offside.
In the released audio, England initially remarks that the check is “perfect” but then reacts with a swear word when he realizes the error.
PGMOL, after making the audio public on Tuesday, attributed the mistake to a “lapse of concentration and loss of focus.” Here you can see the voice record:
🚨 @PremierLeague release official VAR audio from Luis Diaz's disallowed goal vs Tottenham.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 3, 2023
Full statement: https://t.co/buvq5mG2q3 pic.twitter.com/a8zjGgcOCO
The Premier League also acknowledged that the incident in Saturday’s match, along with the subsequent review of the erroneous decision, exposed “systemic weaknesses in the VAR process.”
Liverpool, in response to the incident, expressed concern that “sporting integrity has been undermined” and declared their intention to explore available options for resolution.
PGMOL characterized the disallowed goal as a “significant human error.” They explained that in a momentary lapse of concentration, the VAR lost sight of the on-field decision and erroneously communicated “check complete,” thus inadvertently confirming the on-field ruling.
Regarding potential changes in VAR, PGMOL recognized that the standards had fallen short of expectations in this incident and shared a “detailed” report, including “key learnings and immediate actions taken,” with Liverpool and the other 19 Premier League clubs.
The “key learnings” outlined to mitigate future errors include:
- Reiterating the principle that efficiency should never compromise accuracy in VAR decision-making.
- Developing a new VAR Communication Protocol to enhance communication clarity between the referee and the VAR team regarding on-field decisions.
- Implementing an additional step in the process: the VAR confirming the outcome of the VAR check with the AVAR before conveying the final decision to the on-field officials.
The Premier League accepted these recommendations from PGMOL but announced plans for a comprehensive review, in collaboration with the referees’ body, to achieve consistently higher standards of VAR performance.
