A masked fan has unplugged a VAR monitor during a German second division match in an audacious act of sabotage that left the referee looking at a blank screen when he was called to review a potential penalty.
The bizarre incident unfolded during the Bundesliga 2 clash between Preussen Muenster and visiting Hertha Berlin on Sunday, local time, when referee Felix Bickel was summoned to the pitch-side monitor only to discover that someone had yanked out the power plug.
According to Muenster’s website, a masked supporter had infiltrated the interior area and unplugged the VAR monitor, sabotaging the review process. German media reported that at the same time, home fans displayed a banner with the slogan, “Pull the plug on VAR”.
Pruessen Muenster fans engaged in a protest against the controversial VAR system, with a banner translating as: “Pull the plug on the VAR”. (Getty Images: dpa/Bernd Thissen)
With Bickel unable to view the replay, VAR official Katrin Rafalski in Cologne was forced to make the decision remotely, ruling the challenge was indeed a foul, prompting Bickel to award the penalty, which Hertha duly converted.
The Berlin side eventually won the match 2–1 with a stoppage-time goal.
Muenster are 14th on the Bundesliga 2 table, just a point away from the relegation zone.
“SC Preussen Muenster regrets the incident and will do everything in its power to identify and prosecute the perpetrator(s),” the club said on its website.
“Immediate measures have been taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“Initial findings suggest this was a planned action — a banner indicating this was displayed in the home section shortly after the technical malfunction.”
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