‘I’m challenging it’ – Brest president explains decision to call for VAR to be scrapped

Stade Brestois launched an official letter, requesting that the LFP scrap VAR. The request will be deliberated by French football’s authorities on Wednesday, although the request will almost certainly be rejected. Brest’s president, Denis Le Saint has now told L’Équipe why the request was made. 

Brest have felt hard done by when it comes to refereeing decisions. There was a particular feeling of grievance during their loss against AS Monaco back in early November. “The overriding emotions are frustration, incomprehension, anger. We don’t know why VAR is called upon when the initial decision is in favour and not when it’s the other way around. In French football, we decide a lot of close matches, like tonight’s match, not necessarily with refereeing decisions, but VAR decisions […] Maybe it’s incompetence, I don’t know,” said Roy, in a press conference, attended by Get French Football News. 

Brest president believes VAR overly empowered

On 29th November, Les Ty Zefs sent an official letter to the LFP, requesting that VAR be scrapped from Ligue 1. Le Saint said that whilst he is the only one to request that VAR be scrapped, there are others that share his opinion. “Laws are meant to evolve. I am the first to ask for this change, but I am far from being the only one. There are those that say it and those that don’t say it. I myself say it,” stated Le Saint. 

“We (Brest) have been victims of four refereeing decisions that are hard to understand and which involved VAR. I don’t say anything about the first one; on the second one, I’m annoyed; on the third, things become difficult; and on the fourth, I react. I can’t explain these four decisions. I’m challenging VAR,” added Brest’s president, who believes that VAR has been overly empowered. “We have given full power to VAR without checking the way that we utilise it,” he added. 

GFFN | Luke Entwistle