Enzo Maresca sent shivers down the spines of English football fans by calling for VAR to be introduced in the Championship.
After working on the coaching staff at West Ham and Manchester City, the Leicester boss has seen both sides of the coin and believes technology improves the game.
Yet many supporters in the second tier would reject VAR, with its stoppages and controversies. Maresca has an axe to grind with officials following recent games at Ipswich and Coventry, where he felt big calls went against the Championship leaders.
‘It’s a little bit of a mixed feeling,’ he said. ‘In the Championship when you see a goal you can celebrate because you know nothing will happen to change it. Last year and in the years when I used VAR, you are always waiting, waiting, because you don’t know if there is something (to disallow it).
‘In terms of the immediate reaction, yes, it’s more enjoyable. In the end though, you can see more things with VAR and it’s much better for the game.
‘They have VAR in the second division in Spain, the same in Italy. Here we don’t have it and I don’t know the reason why. In my opinion it helps.’
VAR has been used in Football League play-off finals and in some Carabao Cup matches but has still not been brought into regular fixtures in the Championship or Leagues One and Two.
Championship clubs considered whether to bring in a slimmed-down version of VAR for this season but decided against, due to the dissatisfaction it has caused in the top flight.
However some EFL managers agree with Maresca. Last October Stevenage boss Steve Evans said: ‘The EFL needs VAR at the earliest opportunity as the officiating is not at the level it needs to be.’
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