Breaking News... The first foreign VAR referee to officiate in the Süper Lig has been announced

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) had previously announced that foreign VAR referees would be assigned to critical matches of the week from the 32nd week of the Süper Lig until the end of the season.

Accordingly, the first foreign Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to serve in the Süper Lig has been determined.

Spanish referee Mario Melero Lopez will serve as the VAR for the Ankaragücü vs. Gaziantep FK match, which will begin today at 16:00 in the 32nd week of the Süper Lig. Lopez will be the first foreign VAR referee in the history of the Süper Lig.

EMPHASIS ON 'CRITICAL MATCHES'

The following statement was included in the announcement made by the TFF regarding the matter:

"As a result of the Turkish Football Federation's negotiations with UEFA and the football federations of 5 European countries, foreign Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will be assigned to critical matches of the week from the 32nd week of the Trendyol Süper Lig until the end of the season. The request for Video Assistant Referees (VAR) made by the TFF only to the football federations of Italy, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, which are among Europe's top-tier leagues, has been accepted by the respective national federations. The language of communication in matches where a foreign Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will officiate will be Turkish and English. Therefore, an AVAR, AVAR 2, and VAR Support who can communicate in English will serve alongside the Video Assistant Referee (VAR)."