Mihai Stoica and Victor Angeles accuse the referee in Hermannstadt

In extension, Andrei Chivulete dictated a penalty for Hermannstadt, after Sinyan held Kevin Ciubotaru with both hands in the Cluj box. The “Central” showed the point from 11 meters, but was called by the VAR referee Bogdan Dumitrache to the monitor to review the phase. Ovidiu Hațegan he was the assistant VAR.

Chivulete then changed his mind and disallowed Hermannstadt's penalty. Mihai Stoica stated that the VAR protocol had been breached, which states that the VAR only cautions the “centre” in the event of a “clear and obvious” error.

FCSB official considering that VAR should not have intervened here. On the other side, Victor Angelescu I think Chivulete's initial decision was the right one.

Victor Angelescu: “I think it's a penalty”. Mihai Stoica: “Do you know why he intervenes? To cancel it”

“I think it's a penalty. He has both hands on him. He prevents him from jumping, the player is held down, he doesn't jump to head. If he only had one hand,” said Victor Angelescu, on Prima Sport 1.

The duel between Sinyan and Kevin Ciubotaru

“Chivulete sees the penalty and gives a yellow to Sinyan. I know that the VAR protocol involves a flagrant mistake by the referee, in the opinion of the VAR. More precisely, that a penalty kick is not required. I suspect that Dumitrache is the leader of the VAR, since he is the VAR and Hațegan is the AVAR.

It just won't be Hațegan over. It is clear that Hațegan has nothing to do with the phase, only Dumitrache matters, Hațegan was probably gathering his boots and leaving, being the last phase, he was in a hurry to get out of the crowd. Dumitrache believes that Andrei Chivulete made a blatant mistake.

You know that game, when you jumped in the pool, thick milk? This week they drink milk, it's not very thick, it's a thinner milk, but it's milk. Is it a glaring mistake? Do you know why it intervenes? To cancel the penalty”, added Mihai Stoica.

I say it was a penalty. It is used by both arms. They don't let him jump. The decision on the field had to remain, as it remained with the erroneous penalty decision, at the CFR. The highlight is that the video referee intervened in the last phase, when we had

– Daniel Niculae, President Hermannstadt

What the Laws of the Game say

Here is what the passage from the Laws of the Game on the use of VAR, from the official IFAB website, says:

“A Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is a match official, with independent access to match footage, who can only assist the referee in the event of a 'clear and obvious error' or a 'serious omission' in relation to:

• a. Scoring one goal. It's empty/it's not empty

• b. Awarding a penalty/no penalty

• c. Direct red card (not second yellow card)

• d. Mistaken identity (when the referee gives a warning or removes the wrong player from the offending team)

The referee's initial decision will not be changed unless the video analysis clearly shows that the decision was a “clear and obvious error”.