Match of the Day host Gary Lineker completes full U-turn on VAR and reveals he feels ‘guilty’ for advocating the introduction as it is ‘spoiling the game’
- Gary Lineker initially supported introducing more technology into football.
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Gary Lineker has completely changed his views on VAR and has now said he feels “guilty” for supporting something that is now “ruining the game”.
VAR has faced a massive backlash from coaches, players and fans in recent weeks after a number of high-profile errors.
Clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Wolverhampton and many others made the wrong decisions.
PGMOL chief Howard Webb was busy writing apology statements to be sent to clubs after the games, but managers such as Mikel Arteta and Gary O’Neill said it was not enough.
Lineker confirmed this on Match of the Day, expressing his frustration at the number of mistakes VAR makes.
![Gary Lineker criticized VAR in Match of the Day after another mistake in the Arsenal - Aston Villa match](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Match-of-the-Day-host-Gary-Lineker-completes-full-U-turn.jpg)
Gary Lineker criticized VAR in Match of the Day after another error in the Arsenal v Aston Villa match.
![Ian Wright also joined Lineker to say how](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702213773_60_Match-of-the-Day-host-Gary-Lineker-completes-full-U-turn.jpg)
Ian Wright also joined Lineker to say how “ridiculous” the decision-making system was.
![The ball touched the hands of Kai Havertz and Matty Cash in the build-up to Havertz's goal, which was ruled out for handball.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702213774_863_Match-of-the-Day-host-Gary-Lineker-completes-full-U-turn.jpg)
The ball touched the hands of Kai Havertz and Matty Cash in the build-up to Havertz’s goal, which was ruled out for handball.
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Speaking to pundits Ian Wright and Jermaine Jenas, Lineker expressed his heartfelt pain after yet more drama surrounding Arsenal’s game against Aston Villa on Saturday.
Arsenal fans believed they were wrongly denied a penalty during the 1-0 defeat. this denied them the chance to return to the top of the table as Douglas Luiz brought down Gabriel Jesus in the box.
VAR also denied Kai Havertz an equalizer after the ball was judged to have hit his arm during an attack, despite it also touching the arm of Villa defender Matty Cash.
Lineker insisted: “Why can defenders accidentally pass the ball but strikers cannot?” Why do we try to stop goals?
“The people who create the laws of the game, why they do it, it’s really strange.”
“I have to say I don’t really like VAR anymore, I was one of the people who defended it and I actually feel quite guilty. I was definitely wrong, it ruins the game.”
Wright agreed, calling it “ridiculous” and saying it was “the most ridiculous law in all of law, not just football.”
Wolves fans also recently protested after manager Gary O’Neill claimed his side had dropped up to seven points due to poor VAR decisions.
![Wolverhampton fans held up signs expressing their anger at VAR after manager Gary O'Neill said the side had lost up to seven points due to poor decisions.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702213774_507_Match-of-the-Day-host-Gary-Lineker-completes-full-U-turn.jpg)
Wolverhampton fans held up signs expressing their anger at VAR after manager Gary O’Neill said the side had lost up to seven points due to poor decisions.
![Many fans across the Premier League are constantly fed up with poor decisions made by VAR.](https://thewstnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/1702213774_885_Match-of-the-Day-host-Gary-Lineker-completes-full-U-turn.jpg)
Many fans across the Premier League are constantly fed up with poor decisions made by VAR.