{"id":197342,"date":"2026-05-01T03:19:45","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:19:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/05\/01\/where-are-you-wow-it-is-so-so-bad-emerys-remarkable-var-rant\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T03:19:45","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T03:19:45","slug":"where-are-you-wow-it-is-so-so-bad-emerys-remarkable-var-rant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tahrir2day.com\/news\/2026\/05\/01\/where-are-you-wow-it-is-so-so-bad-emerys-remarkable-var-rant\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Where are you? Wow. It is so, so bad’ – Emery’s remarkable VAR rant"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was highly critical of the video assistant referee for not sending off Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in two impassioned rants after his side’s <\/b>1-0 loss in the first leg<\/b> of their Europa League semi-final.<\/b><\/p>\n

Anderson avoided punishment for a first-half sliding tackle in which he won the ball but then caught the ankle of Ollie Watkins with a high, studs-up challenge.<\/p>\n

Referee Joao Pinheiro did not take action – and there was only what appeared to be a very brief VAR review before the incident was cleared.<\/p>\n

Forest would go on to win through a VAR-awarded penalty which Chris Wood scored – but Emery accepted that decision.<\/p>\n

“Fantastic, the referee, fantastic,” Emery told TNT Sports. “But the VAR is so, so bad. It’s a clear red card – I don’t understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it’s so clear. <\/p>\n

“And it’s very, very important. It’s a huge, huge mistake. VAR is responsible.<\/p>\n

“The referee – fantastic, fantastic job, 10 out of 10. I appreciated how he managed the match for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n

“But I watched it back – wow. Huge. He could break his ankle. Wow, VAR – where are you? Please. It is your responsibility, we are professionals. You are doing very bad work because it was so clear for everybody [to see]. He could break his ankle.<\/p>\n

“I respect the referees always but VAR, I don’t understand. It’s not fair.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Emery was furious about the decision when he spoke to the TV cameras moments after full-time – and still felt the same when he sat down to face the written media in the post-match news conference.<\/p>\n

He continued: “The penalty I didn’t watch – everyone is telling me it’s a penalty.”<\/p>\n

Lucas Digne was penalised for handling Omari Hutchinson’s cross – with Wood converting the spot-kick.<\/p>\n

It was not initially given as it appeared the ball had gone behind for a goal-kick before Hutchinson hooked it back in, but replays showed the Forest player had kept it in play.<\/p>\n

But back to the decision that infuriated the Spaniard.<\/p>\n

“I watched the action of Anderson on Watkins, and the referee did a fantastic job,” Emery said. <\/p>\n

“I was so, so feeling comfortable with how he managed the game in 90 minutes, but after watching it again, it is the VAR responsibility.<\/p>\n

“It is a huge mistake – a huge mistake. Ollie Watkins was close to breaking his ankle. The VAR has a huge responsibility and he must give us an explanation. It is crazy!<\/p>\n

“The ref can’t watch it like me. One action like that can break his ankle. The VAR makes sense if they are fair. What is your opinion? Wow.<\/p>\n

“In football I work 20 years as a coach. Sometimes decisions are tight. I am 100% with VAR, but we must manage it good and in the right way. One action like that, there is no doubt. Where is VAR?”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

In October 2023, Emery said: “I’m always positive with VAR. I think it is good for football. I think it helps the referee always.”<\/p>\n

And in December 2024 after Jhon Duran was sent off against Newcastle United, he said: “Always I am supporting VAR, but you have to use VAR.<\/p>\n

“Today the red card was clear for the referee straight away. He was the only person in the stadium who couldn’t take his time.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was highly critical of the video assistant referee for not sending off Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson in two impassioned rants after his side’s 1-0 loss in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Anderson avoided punishment for a first-half sliding tackle in which he won the ball but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-197342","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n'Where are you? Wow. 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