VAR as a Hidden Camera, by Jordi Puntí

Jordi Puntí

Writer. Author of ‘Confetti’ and ‘All Messi. Exercises in Style’.

If Hansi Flick continues to apply German engineering to the high defensive line of Barcelona, we will soon see how bookmakers start betting on the offside calls he has caused to his rivals. His strategy has already become a hallmark of style. Just look at the goals disallowed against Real Madrid and Espanyol for being in an incorrect position. In Madrid, the first reaction after the 0-4 defeat was to blame Flick’s ‘trap’ for their own errors, with some even suggesting that the semi-automatic VAR might be too harsh (on Tuesday, Milan showed them that their issues start long before that infamous line).

Offside has always been a whimsical concept, but it is clear that technology is changing football as we knew it. We have learned to trust the mechanics of VAR, but this fine-tuning of justice has also brought about new intrigues. The wait for verdicts after dubious plays has heightened suspense, thus enhancing the spectacle: we find amusement in a forward who celebrates a goal with great fanfare, only for VAR to later reveal it was offside. Likewise, fans celebrate almost as if it were their own the rival’s goal that VAR disallows, and the other day against Espanyol, an unprecedented situation unfolded: the two goals scored by the Pericos, disallowed by VAR by mere centimeters, elicited laughter from the Barcelona crowd, as if the rival were a victim of a hidden camera.

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For this Barcelona team, the art of offside is also a distraction, because in the meantime, as if nothing were happening, Barcelona stands as the highest-scoring team in the top European leagues. Rivals seem hypnotized by this strategy, obsessing over launching balls behind the defense, only to forget that the midfield is the engine room, allowing Lewandowski and company to finish the job. This was evident in the comfortable match that Barcelona had yesterday in Belgrade: Red Star based their poor attack on breaking the famous line and succeeded only once—resulting in a goal—but then they were caught offside nine times and, to top it off, conceded five goals.

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