This archive report was first published on 17 October 2019.
On October 17, 2019, a proposal to ban the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in football matches in Rio de Janeiro state was put forward by Brazilian politician Antonio de Azevedo, also known as Zico.
According to Zico, VAR is ruining the game by taking up too much time and disrupting the natural flow of the match.
“Football brings joy to people and the VAR is spoiling it for everybody,” Zico told Reuters.
His proposal, which aims to ban VAR in all official matches in Rio de Janeiro state, including those featuring local sides Flamengo, Botafogo, Fluminense, and Vasco da Gama, must pass the committee stage before it can go to a formal vote.
Although Zico is a fan of arch-rivals Vasco da Gama, he claims that his proposal is not designed to target any particular club, but rather to benefit all true football fans.
“When the game is over people only talk about the VAR,” Zico said.
