
Diego maradona tops list of most controversial world cup moments
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Other memorable moments fans believe would have benefited from VAR include Frank Lampard’s clearly over-the-line shot against Germany in 2010, that wasn’t given. And in qualifying games,
Thierry Henry’s blatant – yet unpunished – handball against Ireland in 2009 was chosen by 28 percent. Just under one in five (19 percent), however, also suspect Geoff Hurst’s game-changing
goal in the 1966 final, which England went on to win, might not have been given had VAR been around. The research was commissioned by Samsung UK to showcase the 2022 range of Neo QLED TVs,
featuring Quantum Dot technology. VAR analyst and former professional referee, Dermot Gallagher, working with Samsung, said: “As a proud Irish man, the most controversial decision for me has
to be Thierry Henry’s handball in the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in 2009. “With VAR and decent tech in place, the foul would have been called, bringing the tied
game to penalties.” Other World Cup injustices football fans recall include Spain having two perfectly good goals disallowed against tournament hosts South Korea in 2002 (19 percent). And 21
percent are still bitter about West Germany’s Jurgen Klinsmann diving in the 1990 final, which got the Argentine Monzón sent off. In fact, nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 percent)
believe VAR would have eradicated most of the World Cup injustices that have taken place over the years. But 48 percent say that while VAR has advantages, it still has a way to go before
it’s a truly useful tool when it comes to refereeing matches. The biggest drawback football fans see with VAR is that it means you don’t know whether a goal can be celebrated, in case it’s
chalked off for some unseen infringement (28 percent). Another 28 percent think it’s being used for the “wrong” reasons – like trying to gauge if a handball was deliberate, instead of a
black-and-white decision like if a ball had crossed the line. And one in five (19 percent) believe that, far from solving any debates, VAR actually leads to even more arguments among pundits
post-game. The study also found during a typical World Cup match, fans will disagree with a referee’s decision four times. And a staggering 36 percent even believe they could competently
referee a match at the highest level – the World Cup finals. Spokeswoman Zeena Hill, for Samsung UK, which has offered to supply the English Football Association and FIFA World Cup VAR
departments with Neo QLED TVs, to help with picture detail, said: “With recent success for the English national teams, the excitement for this year’s World Cup is bigger than ever.”