Ex-Premier League ref: Wenger set to push through VAR change after Harry Kane plea
Keith Hackett has predicted Fifa chief Arsene Wenger to push through a "fundamental" VAR change after a plea from Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Premier League referee revealed former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger could prove pivotal in changing the offside law so the benefit of the doubt is handed back to the attacker.
Kane mooted the idea on Gary Neville's Overlap YouTube channel of daylight being introduced to determine offsides but insisted the advantage should be given to forwards.
The England captain was on the wrong end of a particularly painful offside decision against Leeds United earlier this month when he had a goal ruled out when he appeared in line with the defender.
“I agree with his sentiments,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“At the moment, the offside law requires a change. The law itself has become a defender and we’re getting more goals ruled out because of nonsense like a toe being offside.
“For me, there has to be a fundamental change to the offside law. When the Premier League first came in this is what we practised, the benefit of any doubt must go to the forward.
“What we’ve got now is, any doubt, because of the structure of VAR and how it’s operated, it is now a defender. It’s out of balance.
“FIFA are likely to introduce a change at the World Cup. I think that change will be on technology first. It will give a more accurate reading of the position of an attacker or defender.
“That is very much in the hands of Arsene Wenger, FIFA's chief of global football development. He favours what Harry Kane’s saying. He’s saying that if the majority of the body of a forward player is offside, then we’ll rule it offside.”