Mykola Neseniuk: "It seems that our referees have found another way to 'help' the right teams achieve the result"

The well-known journalist Mykola Neseniuk shared his thoughts on some changes in the domestic judiciary using the VAR system.

"Have you ever been stepped on by thick iron spikes? Or plastic ones? If not, you don't know anything about football. Because only when you have felt the fierce and unexpected pain that pierces through you and seems to never end can you truly understand what a football fight is.

Footballers have always stepped on each other's feet. This is especially often done during a scramble near the goal when a corner or free kick is taken. You can't see this from the stadium stand, and you can't see it on TV either. Because the TV is following the ball along with everyone else. The viewer does not even realise that in order to "win the aerial battle", as our commentators say, the footballer managed to push the foot of his opponent, who wanted to do the same but did not have time, into the ground.

For years, yes, centuries, this technique, at least in our country, was not considered a violation - you have to watch! The players would still be sticking their spikes into each other's thorns if it weren't for the introduction of the VAR, or Video Assistant Referee, who sits in a very expensive mobile studio and watches the game almost under a microscope. And our referees would be fools not to learn how to use this "video assistance" properly. Because it has become difficult to give free kicks and eleven-metre penalties at the right time, and it has become difficult when it is necessary to remove a player from the field of the right team. The footballer is now smart, hiding his hands behind his back to prevent the ball from bouncing into that hand and the referee awarding a penalty, and not rushing at referees or opponents after the latter's obviously unfair actions.

Many of them already speak English, but our football referees do not dare to send off players for "fuck you". But they have learnt a new fancy word - "stepping". That's what "advanced" young observers call the good old fashioned stomping of footballers with spikes on other people's feet. Nowadays, there is no hiding it - the referee sitting near the video camera will notice this technique and tell the referee on the field, and he will make a completely fair decision!

And if these decisions were not made in the last minutes in favour of the home team, after which an eleven-metre penalty was awarded, there would be no questions. But it seems that our referees have found another way to "help" the right teams achieve the result. They have learnt to dance this "step" so skilfully that you can't find fault with them.

I won't give you examples - those who follow our football championship know what I'm talking about. It's a pity that the new dance of football referees is popular only in Ukraine for some reason - abroad they don't do such eleven-metre dances. Although, I may be wrong - it's been a long time since I've had my foot spiked!" Nesenyuk wrote on his Facebook page.