UCL Exit: Roma Officials Fume at VAR Absence

Roma chairman James Palotta and director of football Monchi have joined their voices to the chorus of those calling for Video Assistant Referees to be added to the Champions League following their side’s semi-final defeat to Liverpool.

VAR has already been implemented in Serie A, but is not in place for the Champions League and UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has already announced the competition will not utilise it for next season either.

And chairman Palotta has had enough, declaring it a “joke” that the technology is not used for this type of competition in the aftermath of Slovenian referee, Damir Skomina.

“It’s absolutely clear that VAR is needed in the Champions League because you just can’t let stuff like this go,” Palotta told reporters. “You can all look at it yourself on the film.

“I know it’s difficult to ref, but it’s really embarrassing when we lose on aggregate like that. By the way, it should have been red card, which would have been 10 men in the 63rd minute.

“Again, Liverpool’s a great team – congratulations going forward. But if we don’t get VAR in Champions League stuff like this is an absolute joke.”