There was drama at a German second division football match on Sunday when a masked fan emerged from the stands and unplugged the video assistant referee (VAR) monitor in an apparent protest against the technology.
Referee Felix Bicker was deciding a penalty when the incident occurred.
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The unidentified man, wearing white overalls and a green Munster ski mask, interrupted Bickel during the match between Prussia Munster and Hertha Berlin.
Munster later confirmed that the fan came out of the stands and unplugged the monitor. Television footage captured the man crawling back into the home fan section immediately after the performance.
Despite the daring destruction, the final decision went against the home team.
Video assistant referee Katrin Rafalski made the ruling remotely and communicated her findings to Bickel. Hertha’s Fabian Rees then took a penalty kick and scored the first goal for the team’s 2-1 win.
Final penalty and score (Getty Images)
Prussia Münster expressed regret and said it would “make every effort to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice”, adding that “preliminary findings indicate that this was a planned action”.
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This was supported by a large banner held by the home fans that read “Unplug VAR”.
Bizarrely, Munster captain Jorit Hendricks approved of the fans’ behavior.
“It shows how the fans feel and that they want to do everything to win the game,” he said in comments broadcast on TV program “Sportschau.”
“If they can do something to affect it, they will. I totally understand that and think it’s a good thing.”
The incident highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding VAR in German football, which has been a source of frustration for fans since its introduction in 2017 due to apparent delays and unwelcome disruptions to the flow of matches.
Despite some complaints, VAR will be given more powers at this summer’s World Cup. The technology will be used to cover second yellow cards and cards issued to the wrong team.