May 3 – Roma president James Pallotta says it will be an “absolute joke” if video assistant referees are not introduced in the Champions League after his side were cruelly knocked out by Liverpool 7-6 on aggregate in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have certainly have had their fair share of luck with the officiating during their run to the final and may well have been eliminated – first by Manchester City, then Roma – had the VAR system been in use. On another day many of the crucial decisions could have gone against Liverpool.
In fact both finalists in Kiev later this month have had their fair share of good fortune.
Holders Real Madrid, nowhere near the best team in the competition this season, have reached the final despite being beaten by Tottenham in the group stage and being second best in both legs of their semi-final against Bayern Munich, coming through only because of profligate finishing by the Germans. And who can forget Real’s controversial stoppage-time penalty that broke the hearts of Juventus in the quarters?
But all Pallotta understandably wants to focus on is how his team so nearly caused another gigantic upset against Liverpool having wiped out a similar three-goal first-leg deficit against Barcelona in the quarters.
Pallotta felt his side should have been awarded two penalties. “I know it is difficult to ref but it is really embarrassing that we lose on aggregate like that,” he said. “You just can’t let stuff like this happen.”
Edin Dzeko was brought down by Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius after the interval but appeared to be wrongly ruled offside. And minutes later Trent Alexander-Arnold handled the ball in the area which denied a clear goalscoring opportunity for the hosts.
“You can all look at it yourself. In the 49th minute he wasn’t offside and he gets taken down by the goalie,” Pallotta added. “It was a handball that was obvious to everyone probably in the world except people on the pitch. It should have been a red card which would have been 10 men in the 63rd minute. If they don’t get VAR in the Champions League, it is an absolute joke.”
Comments that will no doubt be noted by UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin who has ruled out VAR in his club competitions until and unless he is convinced the system solves more problems that it causes.
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