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Liverpool says it will 'explore the range of options available' after VAR controversy at Tottenham

Sun, Oct 1, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Liverpool criticized the Professional Game Match Officials Limited on Sunday and warned it will "explore the range of options available" following the VAR controversy at Tottenham.

PGMOL, the referees' governing body in England, admitted Video Assistant Referee officials Darren England and Dan Cook failed to act after Luis Diaz' 34th-minute strike at Tottenham on Saturday was wrongly disallowed for offside. Still images of the incident showed Tottenham's Cristian Romero playing Diaz onside.

The decision was made when the Premier League match was goalless but after Curtis Jones had been contentiously sent off following Darren England's intervention. Liverpool went on to lose 2-1, ending the game with nine players.

The officials were stood down from duty for the rest of the weekend but Liverpool says it will pursue the matter.

A statement read: "Liverpool Football Club acknowledges PGMOL's admission of their failures last night. It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined. We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR."

Liverpool said it was "therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention."

"That such failings have already been categorized as 'significant human error' is also unacceptable," the club's statement added. "Any and all outcomes should be established only by the review and with full transparency."

Liverpool said it need to explore its options, "given the clear need for escalation and resolution."

PGMOL had earlier acknowledged that "a significant human error" occurred in the first half of the game and said it would conduct a full review.

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