Suche
Mein Konto
VAR debate in the DFB Cup: loss of millions due to referee errors!
The discussion about VAR in the DFB Cup on November 4th, 2025 is causing controversy, while high costs and calls for an earlier introduction are arising.
VAR debate in the DFB Cup: loss of millions due to referee errors!
In German football, the video assistant referee, or VAR for short, is currently causing heated discussions. The debate is particularly heated in the DFB Cup, as the use of VAR causes a lot of dissatisfaction. The 9th matchday of the Bundesliga made it clear how controversial the technology is - how Mercury Reportedly, coach Dino Toppmöller from Eintracht Frankfurt commented negatively on a decision by referee Dingert, who did not recognize a goal scored by his team.
Frustration also spread among the Eintracht fans when a supposed opening goal was denied in the 1-1 draw against Heidenheim. Former referees such as Urs Meier and Markus Merk criticize the quality of referee decisions, which have not necessarily improved with VAR. Another incident that fueled the discussion was a DFB Cup game between 1. FC Köln and FC Bayern. Luis Diaz's offside was overlooked, which led to a missed equalizer.
High costs and discussion about its use
A central issue in the VAR debates is financing. The costs for the use of VAR are around 11 million euros in basic costs and a further 1 million euros for personnel costs per year, which adds up to around 20,000 euros per game. Mercury highlights that it is unclear how the use of VAR will be financed in the lower leagues, as the technology is not available there and TV funding is lower.
There are repeated calls for VAR to be introduced earlier in the DFB Cup - so far it has only been used from the round of 16 onwards. Jochen Drees, himself an ex-professional referee, has explained that an introduction from the second round would be entirely possible, provided the conditions were right. Given the large sums of money at stake in the cup, this would certainly be a wise move.
Conclusion: VAR remains controversial
The disputes over VAR show that the technology is supposed to be an improvement in principle, but raises many questions and uncertainties. It remains to be seen whether the referee decisions will really become fairer or whether controversial situations such as those in the game between Cologne and Bayern will continue to arise. One thing is certain, however: VAR is a topic that will continue to heat up emotions in German football.