Arsene Wenger has spoken out against Inter's decisive penalty: "It was awarded because of VAR..."

The Champions League semi-final between Inter and Barcelona was remembered by fans not only for its goals, but also for its controversial decisions. In particular, the decisive moment of the match was the penalty kick that Inter won at the end of the second half, in the 90+2 minute. As a result of this goal, the Milanese won 4:3 and advanced to the final with a total score of 7:6.

However, this situation and the decision made sparked heated discussions in the football community. In particular, the famous specialist, former Arsenal head coach Arsene Wenger, also expressed his reaction to this episode.

“These penalties should not decide football”

During an analytical interview on beIN SPORTS, Wenger described the VAR decision as completely unfair and contrary to the spirit of football:

“I am completely against these penalties. It is an unfair decision under the influence of VAR. Every VAR review is based on slow-motion replays. But football is in real time, at high speed. So these slow-motion images distort the real situation.”

Episode analysis: who gets the ball first?

Wenger analyzed the situation as follows:
“Here, Kubarsi is definitely the first to get the ball. He is a great dribbler. Lautaro blocks the defender more than the ball, leans on him with his body and deliberately looks for a penalty. He knows very well that he will not score because the defender is denying him the opportunity to control the ball. In such a situation, the referee should have continued the game instead of awarding a penalty.”

VAR’s “macro” problem

Arsene Wenger also highlighted the main problem with the VAR system:
“In football, the most important thing is who gets the ball first, rather than whether there is contact or not. VAR eliminates that point. It forces the referee to make a different decision through distracting details.”

Team passion, but individual mistakes

The decision by referee Szymon Marciniak eliminated Barcelona from the final. It was a painful loss for the club and its fans. At the same time, the controversial penalty awarded by VAR in football is only intensifying the debate.

The debate has once again shown fans not only the dramatic spectacle of football, but also the conflict between technology and human judgment.

What do you think - did this penalty really deserve to be awarded or is Wenger right?

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