Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger: VAR snub puts Premier League 'behind the rest of the world'

Posted Monday, April 16, 2018 by ESPN

Arsene Wenger has slammed a decision by Premier League clubs to not use VAR next season, calling the decision "very, very bad" and warning that it leaves English football "behind the rest of the world."

Premier League clubs voted on Friday that the much-debated video assistant referee system will not be used in the competition next season as testing continues in cup games.

Wenger criticised the decision after Arsenal were denied a possible penalty for handball in the first half of Sunday's 2-1 loss at Newcastle.

"The referee is the referee. What you want is to help the referees. Unfortunately the Premier League has again decided not to go for VAR and personally I believe that is a very, very bad decision," Wenger told a news conference.

Arsenal's Arsene Wenger and Newcastle's Rafa Benitez

"The Premier League has been created with people who had a progressive mind and wanted to be in front of the rest in Europe. It worked.

"Overall I believe that with that decision [to not use VAR] we are behind the rest in the world and that every big game this season has been decided by mistakes that could have been avoided with VAR, especially in the Champions League with Manchester City and Liverpool.

"The young generation is used to [VAR] and worldwide they might move away from us because they see that in other countries they do it."

Manchester City were denied a second goal against Liverpool in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal when it was incorrectly ruled offside. They went on to lose 2-1 and were eliminated 5-1 on aggregate.