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      Gremio fans storm pitch and destroy VAR after controversial offside decision in defeat to Palmeiras in Brazil

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      GREMIO players were forced to take refuge in the tunnel and dressing room on Sunday after fans stormed the pitch following the 3-1 defeat against Palmeiras.Supporters invaded the Arena do Gremio pitch to smash up the VAR system after Elias’ goal was controversially ruled out for offside which could have secured them a point.
      Gremio fans smashed up the VAR system after having a goal controversially ruled out for offsideCredit: Reuters
      Supporters were left furious following the 3-1 defeat against Palmeiras on Sunday
      Instead, they conceded in the 94th minute after Breno Lopes wrapped up the victory for the visitors to leave Gremio facing the shock possibility of relegation.
      Following the full-time whistle, fans let their anger be known as they smashed up the VAR system, along with the photographer’s equipment, according to Globo Esporte.
      Players immediately made their way down the tunnel to escape the furious mob, with Palmeiras midfielder Raphael Veiga abandoning his interview to run to the dressing rooms.
      And fans of both teams clashed in the stands as they exchanged punches along the side of the glass divider.
      The supporters on the pitch eventually returned back to the stands after riot police arrived on the scene.
      Gremio could now be hit with a ten-match stadium closure along with a £13million fine.
      Supporters invaded the Arena do Gremio pitch following the full-time whistle in Porto AlegreCredit: AFP

      Chief prosecutor Ronaldo Botelho Piacente said: “The punishments for pitch invasions can be fines up to 100 million reals [£12.9m] and playing behind closed doors for up to 10 games.
      “Stadium closures only happen in serious cases, and in this case it is obvious how serious it is.
      “I want Gremio punished, but the judgement will be down to the court.”
      Commenting on the wild scenes, one fan tweeted: “I’m sure this is the only way to deal with VAR.”
      Another messaged: “I mean this is one way to deal with VAR.”
      A third added: “South American football fans are just a different breed.”
      Meanwhile one simply stated: “Love the passion, but this benefits no-one.”
      Brazilian top-flight side Gremio sit 19th in the table with 11 games to go, with the club seven points off safety.
      Tempers flared between fans and security guards with Gremio in danger of being relegatedCredit: AFP

      Gremio fans eventually returned to the stands after riot police arrived on the sceneCredit: Reuters
      After finishing sixth last season, there was hope from fans that they could compete for the title having brought in winger Douglas Costa on loan from Juventus.
      And they even recruited experienced defender Rafinha, but results have been terrible, with legendary boss Luiz Felipe Scolari resigning earlier this month.
      Up next for Vagner Mancini’s men is a trip to table-toppers Athletic Mineiro, who have lost just five put of their 28 league games this term.
      In contrast, Gremio have been defeated on 15 occasions, with the Porto Alegre outfit losing four out of their last five fixtures.
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      Man Utd star Matic escapes three-match ban for kneeing West Ham’s Coufal in the privates after referee spotted incident

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      NEMANJA MATIC will NOT face any FA action despite kneeing Vladimir Coufal in the privates.Manchester United star Matic aimed a shot at the midriff of Coufal after a challenge during West Ham’s Carabao Cup win on Wednesday night.
      Nemanja Matic kneed Vladimir Coufal in the groin in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday
      But the Serbian has avoided a three-match ban

      It appeared referee Jon Moss had failed to spot the incident, leaving fears the Serbian would be hit with a retrospective violent conduct charge from the FA.
      But SunSport understands Moss’ report landed at Wembley on Thursday morning where he made it clear he had seen what happened.
      And because the match officials saw and dealt with the clash in real time, FA regulations mean no further action can be taken so Matic will escape a three match ban.
      The Serb lashed out at the Hammers right-back as United lost 1-0 – with fans assuming it was missed because VAR wasn’t being used.
      Manuel Lanzini’s early goal gave the East Londoners their first win at Old Trafford since 2007.
      But the Argentine had to leave the pitch after the Coufal incident thanks to ANOTHER bad challenge from Matic.

      Czech Coufal did not make a meal of it but it looked a painful one
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      The United holding midfielder’s first lucky escape came just before the hour mark.
      Coufal – who came off the bench to replace injured Ryan Fredericks early on – had the ball by the sideline as Matic tried to shut him down.
      The Czech quickly tried to move the ball on and played it off Matic’s shins and out of play.
      But the midfielder followed through and lashed out by kneeing the right-back in the groin.
      Coufal went down and appealed to the nearby fourth official – though he did not make a meal of it.
      Matic ran off as if nothing as happened and appeared to get away with it because there was no VAR for the Carabao Cup tie.
      However Moss has since confirmed he saw it during the game.
      Matic doubled down on his good fortune with a nasty tackle on matchwinner Lanzini later in the game.
      The former Chelsea man raked his studs down the Argentine’s ankle after a late challenge and the ref missed it again.
      Lanzini was subbed off injured as a result soon after.
      Fans online were furious Matic got away with both challenges but particularly his sneaky knee on Coufal.
      ‘SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED’
      After Aouar claimed it wasn’t even a foul, Pete replied and wrote: “I’ll come and knee you in the b******s and then see what you think.”
      Brendan tweeted: “VAR wouldn’t have done anything anyway.
      “You must be forgetting it goes blind whenever a United player does anything wrong.”
      Batesy said: “If that happened to Fernandes he would’ve been rolling around on the ground for at least five mins.”
      Chris asked: “Why would you need VAR to spot that, surely one of the four officials would have spotted that.”
      Michael simply added: “Should have been a red.”
      Before Dylan chimed in with: “Yet United fans constantly cry about referees ‘hating’ them and giving them no decisions.
      ⚽ Read our Man United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
      “VAR could easily see that as violent conduct.”
      David Moyes recorded his first win over United since being sacked as their manager with the victory.
      But the Hammers’ bubbles were slightly faded soon after the final whistle as they were drawn at home to perennial Carabao Cup winners Manchester City in the next round.

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      West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini’s early strike dumps Man Utd out of the Carabao Cup More

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      Alan Shearer fumes at VAR for awarding Brighton penalty against Leicester and rages ‘That shouldn’t be allowed’

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      PREMIER LEAGUE winners Alan Shearer and Dion Dublin couldn’t believe Brighton were awarded a penalty against Leicester.Foxes defender Jannik Vestergaard was penalised for handball but was being pulled to the floor by Seagulls striker Neal Maupay.
      Jannik Vestergaard was judged to have handled the ball in the boxCredit: Rex
      But Alan Shearer believes it was a poor decision by the officialsCredit: Getty
      Aston Villa icon Dublin was perplexed as to how the officials didn’t spot Maupay impeding Vestergaard before the handball.
      Watching a replay of the incident on Match of the Day, Dublin asked: “And they don’t see it in the VAR booth – I don’t get it!”
      Maupay converted the penalty and Brighton went on to secure a 2-1 win at the Amex on Sunday afternoon – their fourth Prem win of the season.
      A Danny Welbeck header doubled the lead before Jamie Vardy pulled one back and Leicester had two goals disallowed by VAR for offside.
      The result leaves Brighton fourth in the table, with the Foxes languishing down in 12th after back-to-back Prem defeats.
      Newcastle legend Shearer was in agreement with Dublin, adding: “That should not be allowed to happen. 

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      “That is a clear foul. They obviously missed that, I don’t think they’ve looked at that.
      “They’ve just looked at the handball and they haven’t looked at Maupay obviously pulling him.”
      Speaking after the match, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers expressed his frustration with the three VAR decisions that went against his team.
      He said: “We just never had the luck on our side with those decisions and I think ultimately that cost us.
      “Probably like everyone, I think the first one was never a penalty and I was disappointed with the process in terms of how that was given but I think it was clear that it wasn’t a penalty.
      “Jannik has been fouled, he’s been pulled down and of course his arm is up because he’s been fouled and then the ball heads onto his hand without even looking at it.”
      Brendan Rodgers reacts to Leicester’s loss against Brighton More

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      Fans fume as Walker is cleared of red card and penalty by VAR against Southampton as Lineker slams ‘bizarre’ call

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      BEMUSED football fans blasted a VAR decision that saw Kyle Walker escape a sending off and Southampton denied penalty.The incident during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at the Etihad prompted angry reactions from fans on social media.
      Kyle Walker and Man City were let off by a controversial VAR decision

      One incredulous fan described VAR as “being on vacation” during the controversial incident.
      Walker looked set to be given his marching orders in the second half after he brought down Southampton striker Adam Armstrong in the box. 
      And for a moment it looked as if the visitors were in with a chance of gaining a surprise lead against champions.
      However, the Three Lions full-back stayed on the pitch after appearing to argue his case with referee Jon Moss. 
      Moss later opted to overturn the penalty decision after viewing a replay of the incident on a pitchside screen. 

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      This prompted an irate reaction on Twitter from viewers, supporters and pundits with Gary Lineker branding the choice to overturn the pen as “bizarre”.
      In a post to his eight million followers, Lineker wrote: “Extraordinary turnaround by VAR. Walker gives away a penalty and gets a red card. 
      “With double jeopardy, the red was an error, but to turn over the decision of a penalty is bizarre. 
      “You could argue whether it was a penalty, but having given it, it was definitely not a glaring error.
      Meanwhile, one observer on felt Walker’s challenge on Armstrong was an “obvious foul”.
      And another described the referee’s choice to overturn the spot-tick as “madness”. 
      However other watchers reckoned they could see VAR made the decision to overturn the pen. 
      One viewer suggested that VAR probably got the decision “right” with Walker making a “remarkable recovery” to “get in front of Armstrong”. 
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      Chelsea players fuming as Reece James is sent off for controversial handball against Liverpool before HUGE bust-up

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      CHELSEA players reacted furiously with referee Anthony Taylor after Reece James was sent off for a controversial handball.And then the Blues got themselves into a huge bust-up with Liverpool’s stars in a dramatic end to the first half at Anfield.
      Reece James made the block on the goalline but it bounced off his leg on to his handCredit: Sky Sports
      The Chelsea players reacted angrily after conceding the equaliserCredit: Getty

      Leading 1-0 in injury time, Chelsea failed to defend a corner properly as Joel Matip hit the bar and then James appeared to make a stunning goalline clearance to deny Sadio Mane.
      But Taylor consulted the VAR monitor and saw the ball ricocheted off James’ thigh and up on to his arm before he thumped the ball clear.
      And with that, the ref brandished the red card for the denying of a clear goalscoring opportunity.
      Perplexed James could do nothing as his team-mates surrounded the man in black to make their feelings clear.
      Antonio Rudiger earned himself a yellow card for dissent.
      And then after Mo Salah kept his cool to dispatch the spot-kick, Edouard Mendy found himself in the book, too.

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      As the ball came back out of the net, he attempted to swing a foot at it and almost caught Reds skipper Jordan Henderson who reacted angrily and sparked a shoving match between the two sets of players.
      Things calmed down, allowing the final seconds of the first half to be played out.
      But as soon as the whistle went, Jorginho, Mason Mount, Marcos Alonso and captain Cesar Azpilicueta surrounded Taylor once again to remonstrate and reason – still to no avail.
      And the reaction on social media was clearly divided.
      One said: “I can see why the Chelsea players are unhappy but if they see the replays, they’ll understand.”
      But another replied: “If Anthony Taylor actually looks at the replays he’ll see why they’re unhappy!”
      A third added: “Play to the rules, handle a ball on the line and stop a goal, you walk – or in Chelsea’s case moan, moan, and loose their rag, things don’t always go your way in life, even for Chelsea.”
      And a final reasonable user commented: “Unfortunate, bad luck, but 100% correct call per the rules. Nothing to complain about.”
      Anthony Taylor brought out the red card after checking the VAR monitorCredit: Getty
      Edouard Mendy also picked up a yellow card after swinging a boot near Jordan HendersonCredit: AFP
      Tempers flared between the two sides in the closing stages of the first halfCredit: Sky Sports
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      What are the changes to VAR giving penalties this season in Premier League?

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      NOTHING splits opinion like VAR – but Premier League bosses are hoping this season will be different.After controversy over offside goals and penalties last season, officials are making changes to the rules in 2021/22 to try smooth out the issues.

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      Prem bosses want to avoid VAR controversy in the new seasonCredit: The Times
      What are the changes to how VAR gives penalties this season?
      After a number of controversial incicdents last season involving penalties, Prem chiefs are making changes for the new campaign.
      And the main change comes in the way referees will determine ‘contact’ within the box.
      Last season, if a penalty decision was reviewed by VAR and then the ref, slow-motion contact between two players would usually result in a penalty kick being awarded.
      But now the rules have been tightened up – and it should result in less spot-kicks this time around.
      Penalties should no longer be awarded for contact alone, instead there must be a clear foul shown within the box.
      Referees will no longer be looking just for contact, but clear fouls in the boxCredit: Getty
      Referees must make the judgement call on whether that contact has been enough to impede the attacker.
      There are also changes to the rules on handball, with a change to the wording around making the body ‘unnaturally bigger’.
      This will give referees greater scope to make a call based on the actual movement of the player and his momentum.
      So expect a penalty if a player moves his hand towards the ball or has his arms stretched out, but nothing to be given if a player is struck at speed with his hands by his sides.

      What are the other changes?
      There are a host of other changes coming this season, which include

      Thicker lines on VAR decisions, making the offside process simpler and giving the benefit of the doubt to the attacker.
      Accidental handballs in the run-up to goals will no longer be penalised.
      Linesmen can now put up their flag immediately if there is no immediate goalscoring opportunity, rather than waiting for an attacker to touch the ball.
      There will be NINE subs allowed on the bench in the Prem, but you can only use three in the game.
      Backing into jumping defenders – as Harry Kane was criticised for doing last term – will now be regarded as dangerous play. More

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      What are the changes to VAR offside rules for new Premier League season?

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      THE Premier League is back – but let’s hope VAR controversy is a thing of the past.Brought in to prevent howlers and help referees make the correct call, the Video Assistant Referee continues to divide fans around the country.

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      Expect to see this screen plenty of times in the Prem this season – but bosses hope changes to the rules will appease fansCredit: PA
      With the system here to stay in the Premier League, bosses have introduced new rules for the 2021/22 season in effort to avoid the farcical scenes of the last two campaigns.
      What are changes to VAR offside rules this season?
      There were a number of calls last season which were measured in millimetres, infuriating fans amid calls that the technology wasn’t doing the job it was intended for.
      And referee bosses have admitted that around TWENTY goals not given last season, should have been.
      PGMOL boss Mike Riley explained: “Effectively what we have done is given back 20 goals to the game that were deemed offside last season by using quite forensic scrutiny.
      “So it’s the toenails, the noses of players that were offside – they won’t be offside now.”
      The lines drawn this season will be thicker – and bosses hope that will lead to clearer decision makingCredit: Sky Sports
      To combat the issue, VAR this season will use thicker lines to determine if a player is offside or not.
      Last campaign, the lines drawn by the Video Assistant Referee were millimeteres thick – this lead to decisions such as Patrick Bamford’s disallowed goal against Crystal Palace.
      The new lines will be 5cm wide – as seen in Euro 2020 – providing a greater margin of error with an offside only given if the attacker is noticeably past the defensive line.
      Offsides will also be measured from the armpit down, while TV viewers will no longer see the lines being drawn in real time.

      Has anything else changed?
      The VAR system is still a work in progress and expect it to throw up more controversy this season, even with the new rules in place.
      Officials are working hard to perfect the process though and there are some more minor changes coming in 2021/22.
      These include:

      Accidental handballs in the run-up to goals will no longer be penalised.
      Contact will no longer be enough to give a penalty – officials will have to decide whether the contact has impeded the attacker.
      Linesmen can now put up their flag immediately if there is no immediate goalscoring opportunity, rather than waiting for an attacker to touch the ball.
      There will be NINE subs allowed on the bench in the Prem, but you can only use three in the game.
      Backing into jumping defenders – as Harry Kane was criticised for doing last term – will now be regarded as dangerous play. More

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      New Premier League VAR rules for 2021-22 season revealed with thicker lines on offside and radical handball changes

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      THE Premier League returns this Friday as Arsenal travel to new-boys Brentford.And therefore it surely won’t be long before VAR is the hot topic on everyone’s lips again.
      The Premier League is heading into its third season with VAR in placeCredit: Getty
      The new rules behind how the technology will be implemented have been confirmedCredit: BT Sport

      The technology came in for its fair share of stick last season with the infamous ‘armpit offsides’ ruling out goals, harsh handballs punished and penalties galore.
      So SunSport rounds up what is changing, what is staying the same and what the experts are saying ahead of the third Premier League campaign with VAR…
      THICKER LINES
      The big one is the lines used to determine offsides will be thicker – moving from the 1mm ones that were too thin for the tech available to the ones seen on TV which are reportedly 5cm wide.
      This worked well at the Euros and essentially should help remove the ridiculous calls that were literally by fractions of an inch offside, therefore giving the benefit back to the attackers.
      Thicker lines will be used to determine the tight offside calls – rather than the 1mm ones used beforeCredit: Sky Sports
      PGMOL boss Mike Riley told the Premier League website: “Effectively what we have done is given back 20 goals to the game that were deemed offside last season by using quite forensic scrutiny.
      “So it’s the toenails, the noses of players that were offside – they won’t be offside now.”
      GET OFF SCREEN
      In previous seasons, fans watching on at home on the TV could see the lines being ‘drawn’ on the pitch as the VAR at Stockley Park reached their decision.
      This often led to screenshots getting shared on social media, often inaccurately, and further criticism.
      From now on, though, TV viewers won’t see that and will just be given the final decision.
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      ARMPIT AMBIGUITY
      Fifa have clarified where offsides will be measured from.
      And it is the bottom of the armpit. Right…
      CALL FOR HANDBALL
      One of the other major shifts is in regards to handballs.
      The Premier League say accidental handballs in the build-up to goals will no longer be punished – but are offences if they directly create the chance that scores or scores the goal itself.
      Refs get to make the call on whether a defender has made himself ‘unnaturally bigger’Credit: Sky Sports
      There is also a change to the wording around making the body ‘unnaturally bigger’.
      In its simplest form, there is no specific shape that would be classed as ‘unnatural’.
      This gives the referee greater scope to make a call based on the actual movemnet of the player and his body’s momentum.
      PENALTY PULL BACK
      A record 125 penalties were given in 2020-21 Premier League season but the adjustments to referee directives means that is likely to drop this term.
      It is not just about whether there is clear contact for a foul to be awarded, but whether the referee deems that contact to be enough to impede the attacker.
      Referees will have more of a say whether or not the contact in the box was enough for a penaltyCredit: AFP
      Riley said: “It’s not sufficient to just say there was contact. Contact on its own is only one element the referee should look for.
      “If you have clear contact that has a consequence, it’s a foul – but if you have any doubts in these elements, they are unlikely to be penalised.
      “You also want it to be a proper foul and not the slightest contact that someone has used to go over to get a penalty.”
      EARLY FLAG CATCHES FORWARD
      There is a bit more leniency for assistant referees with clear offsides.
      Rather than waiting for the passage of play to be over before eventually raising their flags, they can put it up earlier if there is no immediate goalscoring opportunity.
      This will no doubt be popular with the players, managers, fans, referees – well, just about everyone really.
      KANE CANED
      Harry Kane often gets criticism for backing into a jumping defender to win a free-kick or penalty – often knocking the airborne opponent off balance.
      This will now be recognised as dangerous play so the player doing the backing or nudging will be penalised.
      Harry Kane has forged a reputation for winning fouls by backing into jumping defendersCredit: AFP
      Riley added: “Again, it’s that interaction between the centre-forward and centre-half.
      “If either player is using their centre of gravity to knock somebody off theirs, that’s dangerous. And that free-kick should be the other way around.”
      SUBS STANDARDS
      Top-flight managers will again be able to name up to nine substitutes.
      However, they can only make three changes to their team mid-match.
      Two concussion replacements are also available.
      In the EFL, it is back down to seven named subs on the benches.
      QUALIFIED QUARTET
      Lastly, four new referees have been promoted to the Select Group 1 of officials who can take charge of Premier League matches.

      Australian Jarred Gillett becomes the first overseas ref added into the top squad.
      He is joined by Michael Salisbury, Tony Harrington and John Brooks in getting the call-up from the EFL.
      Lee Mason becomes the first dedicated VAR and will no longer be officiating on the pitch after 15 years in the top flight.
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      Jarred Gillett from Australia is one of four new faces added to the Select Group 1 of refereesCredit: PA
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