Brazil requests VAR audio and video recordings

CBF sent a letter to FIFA the next day after the 1-1 draw with Switzerland, in which it questioned the procedures that led to the non-use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR). CBF would like to share with FIFA its firm belief in an appropriate and effective implementation of VAR technology. With that in mind, CBF respectfully requests that video and audio from the VAR be provided in order to verify what actually happened - it says in the document.

In the letter addressed to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, CBF asks for clarification regarding compliance with the VAR protocol and questions the reason why the technology was not used, in CBF's words, in the two key episodes of the game. The Brazilian players complained before the restart of the game, as soon as the screen of the arena in Rostov showed the replay of the foul. Mexican referee Cesar Ramos, however, did not listen to them. FIFA says the referee was right, but they condemned the replay on the big screen.

"We refer to match 9 of the World Cup, played between Brazil and Switzerland. After analyzing the game, we would like to draw your attention to certain key episodes of the match, which we noticed after a review by our technical department, in particular, regarding the conduct of referee Cesar Ramos and video assistant referee Paolo Valeri.

The episodes are as follows:

a) Minute 50: In the action that led to the Swiss goal, it is clear that the Brazilian player Miranda was clearly pushed and moved away by the goalkeeper. Zuber deliberately pulls Miranda on two different occasions with both hands. The second occasion is clearer, because the bodies of the two players are more distant. The action features a clear foul, which resulted in an advantage for Zuber, as Miranda was unable to reach the ball. The referee did not penalize the foul and Zuber scored the decisive goal.

b) Minute 74: Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji's fouled Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus, who, having been committed in the penalty area, would have resulted in a penalty kick in Brazil's favor, but was not awarded.

These two actions constitute, in CBF's opinion, clear errors of the referee, which should therefore have been analyzed by the VAR in accordance with the VAR protocol. On the other hand, the CBF knows that according to the protocol established by the IFAB and by FIFA, it is the referee's final decision whether a play should be reviewed or not and whether the VAR recommendation should be followed or not. Likewise, the CBF knows that the VAR must inform the referee about the actions that can be reviewed, providing him with all the facts and recommending the decision to be made.

Considering what has been said above and in light of the fact that the VAR has recently been introduced at the international level, and it is normal that certain clarifications are provided in the early stages of implementation in this new technology, CBF respectfully would like to be informed about:

1. Mr. Valeri, or someone else in the VAR, suggested to the referee to review any of the plays and how?

2. Did the referee, or someone with the power to do so, ask the VAR to analyze the plays?

3. In any of these cases, what was the communication between the two parties?

Finally, the CBF learned from news reports that the FIFA Referees Committee would have said that the referee decisions in the aforementioned plays were correct and there would be no need to review them with the use of the VAR. In this regard, CBF would like to receive an official position on this subject and, once provided with such a position, reserves all of its rights to comment, also in the light of which possible moves may be reviewed throughout this competition.”

Source: Globo Esporte