Serie A: Referees Back in Charge; VAR Has Disappeared from the Radar

Unbelievable but true: the VAR has disappeared. Surprisingly, no referee has yet been called upon by the VAR room during the first Serie A matches. How is this possible? What has changed?

Simple: the Orsato-Messina duo is carrying out a true “restoration” of soccer, as requested by Rosetti, president of the UEFA Referees’ Committee: more power to the referee and fewer VAR interventions—this is the directive from the top which, judging by these first matches of the season, has been fully embraced by the referees in Italy’s top division.

It’s striking to think that there hasn’t yet been a single major VAR intervention, when just last year everyone was talking about nothing but the monitor room. Note that VAR hasn’t disappeared—they’re simply trying to make it less of a “decision-maker.”

There’s a desire to give the referee the decision-making power he once had, even if it means a few too many mistakes. For now, the benefits seem clear, but as always, we’ll have to wait to make a real judgment. What will happen when VAR intervenes for the first time? Will people immediately look back at the times it stayed silent? What’s certain is that fans are appreciating the new policy. Fewer stoppages and more play, just like in the old days.