“Take a seat. This is pressure!”
Uefa have released new footage of the conversations which took place between referees and VAR officials ahead of high-profile Champions League penalty decisions.
Part of a new four-part docu-series called Man in the Middle, the videos show what happened in the seconds leading up to the awarding of Marcus Rashford’s last gasp match-winning penalty against Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, as well as Mo Salah’s spot-kick against Tottenham in that year’s final.
The first episode of the series, which is available to watch on UEFA.tv now, looks specifically at the challenges posed to some of Europe’s top officials as they adapted to VAR shortly after its introduction in 2019.
Manchester United had trailed 2-0 to PSG ahead of their last-16 second leg in the French capital, but were able to seal a famous comeback when it was ruled that Presnel Kimpembe had handled a Diogo Dalot shot in the closing minutes. Rashford famously stepped up to complete a 3-1 win on the night, sending United through to the quarter-finals.
📺 𝐌𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐥𝐞, a brand new https://t.co/AmDdmbC7vF series debuts today!
Enjoy an unprecedented look into the lives of #UCL referees 👇👇👇
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) November 16, 2020
Salah’s penalty was also given for handball in the opening seconds of Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the final. Sadio Mane’s attempted cross was adjudged to have been handled by Moussa Sissoko, presenting Salah with the chance to give Jurgen Klopp’s men an early lead.
🎬 Episode one of 𝗠𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 addresses some of the most high-profile VAR decisions since its #UCL introduction in early 2019.
🗣️ Hear the conversations that took place and what the referees themselves think now… pic.twitter.com/LUxStXay0F
— UEFA (@UEFA) November 17, 2020
Uefa’s chief of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, says the series will give supporters an alternative perspective on match officials and the job they carry out, often making key decisions in high-pressure scenarios.
“It’s important to communicate with people, to show what the referees are doing,” he says. “They are human beings, they are trying to do their best, they are really professional, they are really serious and honest people.”
