Beşiktaş reacts to VAR decision by MHK

Beşiktaş has announced that it has applied to the Central Referee Board (MHK) regarding the penalty that was canceled following a VAR recommendation during the match played against Sivasspor in the 23rd week of the Süper Lig. However, the black-and-white club stated that they have not yet received a response to their application.

The statement from Beşiktaş is as follows:

"We would like to inform the public that we have not yet received a response to our application submitted on 29.01.2024 to the Central Referee Board regarding the cancellation of the penalty kick we earned in the match our Football A Team played against EMS Yapı Sivasspor, following a VAR review recommendation.

To the TFF Central Referee Board Presidency

During the EMS Yapı Sivasspor-Beşiktaş match played in Sivas on 28.01.2024, the match referee awarded a penalty for the position in which our player Salih Uçan fell to the ground. The match's VAR referees called the referee to the monitor with a recommendation for a review, which resulted in a cancellation decision.

We request that you inform us of the nature of the recommendation made by VAR to change the decision by scrutinizing the discretion of the referee, who is in command of all dynamics within the game, and to which written rule VAR's intervention in this matter is tied, or if it is tied to a written rule, its justification.

Likewise, regarding the similarity to the aforementioned issue, why did the VAR referee not warn the match referee or show sensitivity regarding a review in the position where our player Milot Rashica fell to the ground in the Beşiktaş-Adana Demirspor match the previous week? We demand an explanation for why two different approaches were shown in two very similar incidents.

Our club views it as a necessity for contributing to the beautiful game that the referee, who is an important pillar of football's justice mechanism, should be the true actor of the game and demonstrate fair management without receiving support from the VAR room, except for vital errors.

It is regrettable that the boundaries of the single-management principle in the decisions taken in two consecutive weeks leave question marks in the minds. We believe it would be beneficial for the public to know the referee-VAR standard.

We await your response to our request for information.

Sincerely."