Was there an offside before Cengiz Ünder's goal? Former referees weigh in...

Fenerbahçe were the guests of Antalyaspor in the 24th week of the Süper Lig.

The Yellow-Canaries reached 3 points with goals from Cengiz Ünder and Batshuayi, taking the top spot on goal difference.

The match's first goal came from the foot of Cengiz Ünder in the 42nd minute.

Following the goal, Antalyaspor players made intense protests, claiming that Edin Dzeko was offside at the start of the play.

After listening to the VAR, the referee stated that the position was not offside and awarded the goal.

Former referees evaluated the most discussed moment of the match on the TRİO program broadcast on beINSports.

Deniz Çoban: Let's emphasize this every chance we get, because a lot of things, right or wrong, are being shared, especially on social media. Let's say this whenever we get the chance. One, the cameras of the semi-automated system that makes this offside detection do not belong to the broadcaster. They are the system's own cameras. The animation created using those cameras is sent to the video assistant referees. That is then transferred to our broadcaster. And our broadcast reflects it on the screens. It has nothing to do with our broadcaster.

Bahattin Duran: We can only display it after the footage comes to us from Riva. Sometimes it arrives late. That also has nothing to do with us.

Deniz Çoban: Also, after it arrives, it needs to be broadcast during an appropriate time window without missing an important moment in the match. That's why it can be delayed. So, they make it look like there is a manipulative situation regarding the delay. There is no such thing. Whenever it arrives, and after it arrives, the most appropriate time is found and then it is broadcast. When the referee restarts the game, the result has been obtained from the Semi-Automated Offside System, it has been reported to the referee, and the game has started because of that. Otherwise, there is no situation where the image is drawn later, brought in later, or intentionally delayed.

Deniz Çoban: Two, in the Semi-Automated Offside System, these cameras determine which player is in front and which is behind, but the moment the ball is kicked is still determined manually by the video assistant referees. The system stops the ball at a point, and the video assistant referees check whether it stopped at the right place. The final approval is given by the video assistant referees. In other words, the detection of the first kick, the moment of first contact, is not done entirely by the system.

Bahattin Duran: This was only done at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. It is not being implemented like this in the Champions League or the Italian League.

Deniz Çoban: If what I heard is correct, that is, if the source sharing the information is correct, a chipped ball will be used in the Champions League after the group stage. That's what they say.

Bülent Yıldırım: In the 2024 European Championship, the system with the chipped ball, just like in the World Cup...

Bahattin Duran: That is the most accurate way anyway.

Deniz Çoban: Yes, that is the most accurate way.

Deniz Çoban: So here, yes, the Semi-Automated Offside System, yes, a millimetric measurement, yes, there is no offside. We have nothing to say about this because this system reportedly never makes mistakes. It has been tested and approved like that, but even if the moment of the kick is determined by the system, it is approved by the referee. Therefore, there is no offside here. The detection of the moment the ball was kicked was made by the video assistant referee. The line came out this way.

Bülent Yıldırım: Yes Bahattin, is there any doubt?

Bahattin Duran: No, hocam. Deniz Çoban explained it very well. Bless his heart.

Bülent Yıldırım: We also need to inform the public.

Bahattin Duran: It was very good.

Bülent Yıldırım: Because the broadcaster has nothing to do with this system itself or its cameras. This technology is a project that the Turkish Football Federation has contracted and is trying to minimize controversies and minimize time loss. A lot of money was spent, but the video referee still detects the moment of contact with the ball. Even if that data can be detected instantaneously after being approved, the animation provided in cases where the result is important, such as this, can only be given and presented by the video referee during a time slot suitable for broadcasting. This has nothing to do with our director or beIN SPORTS.

Bahattin Duran: The assistant referee should be congratulated for this position. It is a very critical position. The assistant referee is a little ahead of the second-to-last defender. He is not in the most correct place, but Serkan Ok is a very experienced assistant referee.

Deniz Çoban: He would normally see offside from where he is.

Bahattin Duran: Yes; that's why his decision to let the play continue, to let it continue with courage, is a positive attitude. Let's congratulate him for the decision he made despite not being in the right place.

Bülent Yıldırım: Well, isn't it always like this; if there is a doubt...

Bahattin Duran: You have to let it play.

Bülent Yıldırım: You have to let it play. Since the video referee system arrived, assistant referees can let play continue with even more confidence. This is also a very experienced assistant referee. He made the right decision to continue. The system also confirmed this. There is no problem with the goal.

Deniz Çoban: When the ball is kicked, isn't the Fenerbahçe player closest to the assistant referee offside?

Bahattin Duran: Yes.

Deniz Çoban: The system doesn't know which players it should draw the line between. That is also determined manually. Now, when the ball is kicked, who should it compare with whom? The system doesn't see where the ball is going or which player it is going to, and it can mark the Fenerbahçe player at the very front as offside. So, that's the reason why it's called the Semi-Automated Offside System at one point. The video assistant referee also marks where the ball is going and between which players the offside check should be made.

Deniz Çoban: Under normal conditions, the system marks the Fenerbahçe player at the very front as offside.

Bülent Yıldırım: But since he has nothing to do with the play...

Deniz Çoban: The video assistant referee manually determines that he has nothing to do with it and excludes him from the calculation.

Bülent Yıldırım: Yes.

ERMAN TOROĞLU: I AM UNDECIDED

Former referee and football commentator Erman Toroğlu said about the position, "I am uncomfortable with the Cengiz Ünder position. Is there a chance to say whether this position is offside or not? I am undecided," he stated.

(Footage taken from beIN Sports)