No to VAR in Swedish football!
Soccer is more than just a sport in Sweden. It is part of our culture, a source of passion and community for millions of supporters around the country.
However, with the ongoing debate about introducing VAR, Video Assistant Referee, in Swedish football, it is important that we consider the consequences of such an action carefully. We are strongly against the introduction of VAR in Swedish football, and we will tell you why.
Firstly, the introduction of VAR would destroy the natural flow of the game. Soccer is a sport that lives and breathes through its continuous flow.
Most of the time anyway. Too many interruptions are already happening which is a shame.
But VAR would further slow the flow of football by constantly stopping play to review incidents on video in its pursuit of millimeter justice at the molecular level.
We have all seen what it looks like abroad in countries where VAR has been introduced.
How it results in a fragmented and disruptive experience for both players and supporters.
Instead of enjoying the natural rhythm and excitement that football offers, we are forced to wait patiently while the referees consult video evidence. Often for several minutes.
In addition, it leads to fewer goals, as more goals are ruled out. And of course it can be positive if incorrect goals are disallowed, but too often we see a judgment that disallows seemingly regular goals for little things such as a hand or tip of a toe being offside on a player for several moments before the goal itself. We believe this excessive detailed review is ruining the sport.
We can also see that many supporters think VAR has made football less entertaining.
In an opinion poll by the English Football Supporters Association (FSA) with 33,000 surveyed supporters, more than 40% answered that their interest in football has decreased because of VAR.
95% of those who experienced VAR from inside a football arena and 94% of those who experienced it via TV answered that it made the match less entertaining. 95% also answered that they were dissatisfied that the spontaneous May jubilation had disappeared or decreased due to VAR.
Furthermore, 44% answered that they would probably visit fewer matches in the future because of VAR.
Some may object that football supporters are generally quite conservative and completely closed to change and technological progress in the sport, but the same survey also showed that a whopping 97% of respondents believed that so-called Goal Line Technology was positive for football. It shows that it is not about a general resistance to all change, but a specific resistance to just VAR.
In any case, these are numbers that should discourage leaders in Swedish football from introducing VAR in its current form.
English football may be able to cope with a large loss of supporters as they can partly be replaced by new supporters in the stands considering the enormous interest that still exists for English football worldwide, and also considering that the main source of income is the TV contracts and not the audience in the stands.
In Sweden, however, it looks radically different. Allsvenskan's probably main USP is the passionate crowd and atmosphere. For most clubs, the cen paying crowd in the arena is the main source of income which would be absolutely devastating to lose. It is also the loud and passionate crowd in the stands that sells the Allsvenskan. The stand culture sells the Allsvenskan.
So in short, Swedish football would not be able to cope with a significant reduction in the number of spectators on site.
It is of course not possible to say with certainty that VAR would negatively affect the number of spectators at the venue, but the answers in the above-mentioned opinion poll from England and the strongly negative attitude towards VAR in general among Swedish football supporters should certainly warrant very careful consideration.
In summary, there are several reasons why the introduction of VAR would ruin the football experience in Sweden. It would disrupt the natural flow of the game, remove the human factor, undermine the authority of the referees and reduce the excitement and drama. Instead of improving the quality of the game, it would make it less engaging and less entertaining for supporters. Therefore, it is important that we stick to the traditional way of refereeing football matches and reject the idea of introducing VAR in Swedish football.
At least WAS in its current form.
If VAR becomes significantly better in the future and manages to solve all the shortcomings, we can of course consider changing our opinion. But it feels far away and until then we say: NO TO WHERE!
We feel so strongly about Swedish football and are so proud of the Allsvenskan, so we feel that it is an important battle to take.
That's why we've also produced a t-shirt for those who feel like us and are against VAR in Swedish football. You can find it here.
