Foreign VAR debate grows: TFF has made its decision
As the final weeks of the Süper Lig approach, the Turkish Football Federation has responded to the demands from some clubs for foreign Video Assistant Referees (VAR).
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In the 2025/26 season of the Süper Lig, as refereeing decisions have remained at the center of controversy in recent weeks, some clubs have requested that referees from abroad be assigned to VAR duties. While these demands primarily came from major clubs such as Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, and Fenerbahçe, the Turkish Football Federation's approach to the matter became a subject of curiosity.
TFF GIVES NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO FOREIGN VAR
It has been learned that there is no step toward foreign VAR referees in the federation's current planning. According to information obtained from federation sources, it was stated that foreign federations are generally reluctant to send high-quality referees during the final stages of the season due to their own important matches. Furthermore, concerns regarding the inability to impose any sanctions on foreign individuals assigned in Turkey also influenced the federation's decision.
REACTIONS FROM CLUB PRESIDENTS
Executives and presidents of the leading Süper Lig teams made statements on the issue during the draws held in recent weeks. Beşiktaş President Serdal Adalı stated, "It seems Galatasaray also has a demand for foreign VAR. I wish they had supported us when we requested it two months ago so we wouldn't have to have these conversations. Clubs bring certain things to the agenda when there is a possibility of them getting hurt," emphasizing that their requests for support had been raised previously.
Similar statements came from the Galatasaray side. Sportif AŞ Deputy Chairman Abdullah Kavukcu said, "We do not distinguish between local or foreign referees, but between good and bad referees. We asked for this 2 years ago. We wanted foreign VAR two years ago. We are making the same demand today. We don't understand what they want. We are the team playing with 10 men. Do we have to play with 8 men so that people don't talk about us? We are the ones suffering the most damage. We receive backlash because we don't talk about this. We distinguish between good and bad referees. We also trust Turkish referees. There are very good referees among them. However, we say that foreign VAR is necessary if they are to come from the top 5 leagues," indicating that their intention was to emphasize quality refereeing.
Fenerbahçe Board Member Ertan Torunoğulları made the following assessment: "The struggle for the championship and staying in the league is intensifying. I wish there were foreigners in the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the remaining matches. In fact, two representatives from the match being played should sit in the VAR room, listen to the conversations, and report them to their clubs. Then there would be no problems left."
CURRENT SITUATION TO CONTINUE
The Turkish Football Federation announced that VAR referees will continue to consist of local names for the remainder of the season, reiterating that they will not compromise on either the adequacy of the current staff or legal responsibilities.