Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior both found the net as Real Madrid secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Mexican side Pachuca in the inaugural Intercontinental Cup final in Doha on Wednesday. Mbappé opened the scoring in the 37th minute, tapping in from close range after a brilliant assist from Vinícius. Rodrygo then extended Madrid’s lead … Read more
West Ham secured a hard-fought Premier League win over struggling Wolves, easing the pressure on under-fire head coach Julen Lopetegui. However, the victory is unlikely to lessen the scrutiny surrounding Wolves manager Gary O’Neil, with his team staying in 19th place after a third consecutive defeat. EDITOR’S PICKS Electricity Meter Costs Rise Again As Deregulation … Read more
A second-half hat-trick from Harry Kane led Bayern Munich to a 3-0 home victory over Augsburg on Friday, extending their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to eight points ahead of their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday. Bayern, unbeaten in the league this season, dominated possession but were repeatedly thwarted by … Read more
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced the establishment of a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Academy for its 54 member associations. The initiative aims to raise the standard of officiating across Africa. Scheduled to launch between September and October 2024, the academy will provide specialized training for Elite Referees involved in both international and … Read more
The controversy over the VAR situation in the Premier League rages on. The Premier League and the PGMOL and its Head, Howard Webb, tender a formal apology to Arsenal and Mikel Arteta over a human error in the EPL fixture between Brentford and Arsenal. Arteta criticizes the choice for an apology at this moment, knowing … Read more
Another Premier League fixture goes down with a controversial decision reportedly determining the outcome of the result. In the London mini-derby between Chelsea FC and West Ham United, Chelsea were denied a penalty within the closing stages of the match, with the score sitting at 1-1. Former EPL referee Peter Walton states the call should … Read more
Thomas Tuchel has reacted to Chelsea’s comeback win against West Ham United. EKO HOT BLOG reports that Chelsea manager, Thomas Tuchel, has insisted that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made the correct call after a late Maxwell Cornet goal was ruled out in their 2-1 win over West Ham on Saturday. Michail Antonio gave … Read more
Mike Dean has confessed that he made a mistake in Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Spurs. EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Video Assistant Referee, Mike Dean, has admitted he should have recommended referee Anthony Taylor to review Cristian Romero’s hair pull on Marc Cucurella for a possible red card in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw at … Read more
Manchester City has secured their Champions League quarter-finals after thrashing Sporting Lisbon as Bernardo Silva’s brace inspired a masterful 5-0 win in the last 16 first leg on Tuesday. EKO HOT BLOG reports that Pep Guardiola’s side produced a swaggering display at the Jose Alvalade Stadium to kill off Sporting before the second leg in … Read more
Newcastle United boss wants clarity from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited over controversial VAR decisions EKO HOT BLOG reports that Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe has voiced his frustration over a series of controversial VAR decisions that have frustrated the northeast side’s bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League, saying they had crated a … Read more
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has been active since the beginning of the season, its introduction was to help Referees in decision making especially in the issue of Offsides and Infringements leading to a goal. Its early efficiency attracted the applause of the fans and football pundits across the globe but in recent matches its decisions … Read more
UEFA President, Aleksander Ceferin said the introduction of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football has completely changed the way the game is being played, having its effect on the most-watched sport in the world. Ceferin expressed his dissatisfaction with the technology, said that the system goes far beyond its original remit and that decisions are … Read more
Like its captain, Lionel Messi, who blasted the officiating after Brazil defeated Argentina 2-0 early Wednesday, the body in charge of football in Argentina, AFA has issued a strongly worded complaint blaming the officials for not consulting Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for certain decisions that would have altered the result. “In particular, by not using … Read more