World Cup

Sepp Blatter criticises "inconsistent" VAR implementation at 2018 World Cup

By Giuseppe Labellarte, Reporter | 21 June 2018

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter believes that VAR is failing at the 2018 World Cup in Russia due to a lack of consistency in its implementation.

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has claimed that VAR is failing at the World Cup due to a lack of consistency.

The 82-year-old believes that the world football governing body should be using only one VAR "judge" to make sure that decisions are more consistent.

Blatter's comments come amid a series of contentious decisions that have involved the system at the tournament, including in England's 2-1 win over Tunisia.

"I think it's not the right approach," the Swiss told PA.

"I'm not against help [for referees] - we started it already [with goalline technology] but if you have this VAR referee, he is like the head of a tribunal and you must have the same for all matches.

"It says in the laws of the game 'in the opinion of the referee', so if you have a South American or a European or some other referee, they have a different approach to the problem. I'm not against technology but it's not consistent."

Despite being suspended from all football activities since 2015, Blatter is at the World Cup as an invited guest of the Russian president Vladimir Putin.