Brazil Complain to FIFA Over Lack of VAR Use in Switzerland Draw & Demand Clarification
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have written to FIFA to 'questioning the procedures adopted by the VAR' after feeling that two key decisions that went against them during Sunday's 1-1 World Cup draw with Switzerland should have been reversed by the technology.
Brazil were particularly upset that the video assistant referee team did not flag up a push in the back of Miranda by Swiss goalscorer Steven Zuber as he engineered the room to score the decisive equaliser from close range early in the second half.
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Brazil also felt they should have had a penalty just under 25 minutes later when Gabriel Jesus was challenged by Manuel Akanji in the area without being penalised.
The letter, addressed to FIFA president Gianni Infantino and also directed to the attention of FIFA General Secretary Fatma Samoura and FIFA Referee Committee chairman Pierluigi Collina, declared:
"These two (02) actions constitute, in the opinion of the CBF, clear errors of the referee, which thus should form part of the reviewable decisions that are analysed through the VAR, in accordance with the VAR Protocol."
The CBF have demanded to know whether Paolo Valeri, the video assistant referee for the game in question, suggested to on-field referee Cesar Ramos that the incidents in questions should be reviewed. They also want to know if Ramos had asked Valeri and the VAR team to look at the incidents, and what the communication between them was.
"CBF respectfully asks to be provided with the video and audio recordings from the VAR, all in order to verify what actually happened," the letter read.
Brazil captain Marcelo said after the game that on-field official Cesar had informed him that the VAR team were reviewing the footage after Zuber scored. Given that he then did not go over to the side of the pitch to review it himself, it is likely they saw no 'clear and obvious' error.
"Miranda's move, I'm not going to talk about the referee, but he said they were checking. He did not want to look at the big screen, but it is not an excuse for the draw," Marcelo told Globo.
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