Liel Abada: Ex-Fifa official exposes ‘VAR’ as controversial Celtic footage analysed
Celtic ace Liel Abada’s handball shout during the Europa Conference League loss against Bodo/Glimt exposed the “vulnerability of VAR”.
That is the view of ex-Fifa and Premier League referee Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the decision which could have landed the final blow in the Hoops’ chances of progression.
As seen in highlights from BT Sport (24 February), Celtic saw appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Sergei Ivanov as Abada’s shot struck the midriff of Marius Hoibraten with the hosts leading 1-0.
Television replays proved inconclusive with a vantage point of the incident blocked by players from both sides.
Celtic were dumped out of the Europa Conference League after suffering an eventual 2-0 defeat in Norway, bringing the aggregate score to 5-1.
Hackett swiped at the “lack of clarity” provided by the replay.
“The one thing I will say is that the referee might be in a good position distance-wise, but the view could be blocked,” he told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“But there isn’t the clarity from the VAR screens to tell the referee whether the player has handled the ball.
“That footage is inconclusive. I think it shows the potential vulnerability of VAR to not be able to quickly produce a clear image.
“He can’t go on the reactions of the Celtic players. He’s got to be able to see it, and what we’ve got from the TV screen is inconclusive evidence.
“Referees need definite proof that the player has handled the ball in order to give the decision.
“The referee is in a good position, but just like on the TV – his view is blocked.”
In other news, Ange Postecoglou told to drop two Celtic big names by a “worried” expert.