The Outpost is a comprehensive collection of curated artificial intelligence software tools that cater to the needs of small business owners, bloggers, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, marketers, writers, and researchers.
© 2025 TheOutpost.AI All rights reserved
Curated by THEOUTPOST
On Fri, 4 Apr, 4:02 PM UTC
2 Sources
[1]
Fuming Spurs boss Postecoglou sees future with AI referees after VAR intervention
April 4 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou bemoaned the time-consuming VAR process that saw Pape Sarr's goal chopped off in their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday and said football was heading towards being refereed by artificial intelligence. Referee Craig Pawson was advised by VAR to check Sarr's 69th-minute equaliser on the monitor and eventually chalked off the goal for a foul by the Spurs player in the build-up. "It's going to be refereed by AI soon," Postecoglou told reporters after Thursday's Premier League match. "We might as well dispense with the players when some genius comes up with a game with no participants at some point. As referees aren't refereeing. "Whether I think its a foul or not, does not matter. VAR was called in for clear and obvious errors. How long did it take tonight? Six minutes. For a clear and obvious error. "I don't see how it's benefiting our game. I don't think anyone would have complained tonight if we just went with referees' decisions." Spurs, who are 14th, host Southampton on Sunday before welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday. Reporting by Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Soccer
[2]
Postecoglou on VAR: Might as well let AI be ref
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou bemoaned the time-consuming VAR process that saw Pape Sarr's goal chopped off in their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea on Thursday and said football was heading towards being refereed by artificial intelligence. "We might as well dispense with the players when some genius comes up with a game with no participants at some point. As referees aren't refereeing. "Whether I think its a foul or not, does not matter. VAR was called in for clear and obvious errors. How long did it take tonight? Six minutes. For a clear and obvious error. "I don't see how it's benefiting our game. I don't think anyone would have complained tonight if we just went with referees' decisions."
Share
Share
Copy Link
Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur's manager, criticizes VAR's time-consuming process and suggests AI referees might be the future of football officiating after a contentious goal disallowance in their match against Chelsea.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou expressed his frustration with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system following a controversial decision in their 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Thursday. The incident centered around a disallowed goal by Pape Sarr in the 69th minute, which was chalked off after a lengthy VAR review 1.
Postecoglou's main grievance was the time-consuming nature of the VAR process. He pointed out that the review took approximately six minutes, questioning how such a lengthy deliberation could be justified for what VAR is supposed to identify as "clear and obvious errors" 1.
In a provocative statement, Postecoglou suggested that football might be heading towards being officiated by artificial intelligence. He remarked, "It's going to be refereed by AI soon," highlighting his belief that the current trend of technology-assisted refereeing is moving in this direction 2.
The Tottenham manager went further, sarcastically proposing that the game might eventually dispense with players altogether, stating, "We might as well dispense with the players when some genius comes up with a game with no participants at some point. As referees aren't refereeing." 2
Postecoglou's comments reflect a broader concern about VAR's impact on football. He argued that the system is not benefiting the game, suggesting that reverting to relying solely on the referee's on-field decisions would be preferable. "I don't see how it's benefiting our game. I don't think anyone would have complained tonight if we just went with referees' decisions," he stated 1.
This incident and Postecoglou's reaction highlight the ongoing debate about technology's role in football officiating. While VAR was introduced to reduce errors and increase fairness, its implementation has been controversial, with critics arguing that it disrupts the flow of the game and can lead to overly pedantic decision-making.
Tottenham's defeat leaves them in 14th place in the Premier League table. They face Southampton next in a home fixture, followed by a Europa League quarter-final first leg against Eintracht Frankfurt 1.
Reference
[2]
