The 32: Rob Lee on the most annoying part of VAR at the World Cup
Premier League legend Rob Lee told ‘The 32’ he doesn’t feel the World Cup has got VAR ‘quite right’ as the technology continues to divide opinion.
Lee, 52, speaking as guest on Yahoo’s daily World Cup show, also hit out at players who make ‘VAR appeals’ by gesturing to the referee after controversial incidents.
VAR (video assistant referee) has been a huge talking point during the tournament, having already helped award France a penalty against Australia before disallowing an equaliser for Iran v Spain.
Former Newcastle and England midfielder Lee, who went to France ’98 with his country, said: ‘I’m not a fan of VAR, I don’t think we’ve got it quite right yet.
‘Goal line technology, I’m all for – I think it’s fantastic. But football is a contact sport, and we’ve had nearly 10 penalties already.
‘I like seeing players take people on, and I like seeing great football. I don’t want to see all games decided on a penalty.’
WORLD CUP 2018 – LATEST NEWS AND ANALYSIS FROM YAHOO SPORT
Russia 2018: How to watch EVERY World Cup match – and keep your job
Football Cliches: Five cult heroes from World Cup history, and how their legacies live on
From Buffon to Bale: The big-name players who WON’T be at the World Cup 2018
Ranked! The 10 most iconic World Cup haircuts of all time
How previous World Cups would have been different with VAR
VAR has divided fans at the World Cup, with some claiming it disrupts the flow of the game, while others insist it’s a necessary part of modern football.
Lee added: ‘If we looked at every single corner and free kick, there’s jostling going on and pulling going on, you’d give a penalty every time with VAR.
SLIDESHOW: The stadiums of the Russian World Cup (Click image below)
‘I used to hate players who (appealed for the referee to give a card), now you’ve got players doing this (the ‘VAR’ signal). It’s so annoying!’
Lee also singled out Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘one of the best ever’ after his winner v Morocco, and believes the Real Madrid star ‘could play until he’s 40’.
