Masked fan pulls the plug on VAR in bizarre sabotage

Bangla Press Desk:    A masked fan unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division match on Sunday in an audacious act of sabotage ‌that left the referee looking at a blank screen when he was called to review a potential penalty.

The bizarre incident unfolded during the Bundesliga 2 clash between Preussen Muenster and visiting Hertha ⁠Berlin, when referee Felix Bickel was summoned to the pitchside monitor only to discover that someone had yanked out the power plug.According to Muenster's website, a masked supporter had infiltrated the interior area and unplugged the VAR monitor, sabotaging the review process. German media reported that at the same time, home ‌fans ⁠displayed a banner reading "Pull the plug on VAR".

With Bickel unable to view the replay, VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne was forced to make the decision remotely, ruling ⁠the challenge was indeed a foul, prompting Bickel to award the penalty, which Hertha duly converted.

The Berlin side eventually ⁠won the match 2–1 with a stoppage-time goal.

Muenster later said the incident appeared to have been ⁠a planned action and that the club would do everything in its power to identify those responsible.

Source: daily Sun

BP/SP