Thierry Henry: “VAR kills the joy of the game” | OneFootball

Since its inception, the video assistant referee, commonly known as VAR, has had its fair share of critics. However, despite being implemented heavily across the globe, the technology is not always accurate. And according to former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, it sometimes soaks the life out of the game.

During the “Leaders Week sport business” which hosted approximately 3,000 senior leaders of the global sports industry, Henry talked about the impact of VAR on the game of football, admitting that while he was not against the idea of the technology, he was far from satisfied with the loss of time faced during the implementation.

As quoted by L’Équipe, the 45-year-old opined:

“It’s not quick enough. Then it’s always the decision of someone in a truck or somewhere else, because it’s not the VAR that decides. The VAR is just a reminder of the situation. After you score, you don’t even know if you should celebrate. Do I jump? Do I celebrate? Do I not celebrate? It kills the joy of the game.”