In November, Tottenham Hotspur – my team – played Chelsea. It was one of the most extraordinary games in recent footballing history, with no fewer than nine appeals to the video assistant referee (VAR).
VAR is a relatively recent addition to professional football; it has only been used in England since 2019. The point of the system was to reduce the number of refereeing errors, and thereby increase fan confidence. But it has not done so, and therein lies a fascinating parable for the human condition.
