Rose blasts VAR after draw: “Weak, incomprehensible, arbitrary”

RB Leipzig coach Marco Rose was less than impressed with the work of the video assistant referee during his side’s 0-0 draw with Mainz on Saturday.

In a game that was very one-sided in terms of possession and chances, RB Leipzig were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Mainz on Saturday.

After the game, Leipzig coach Marco Rose took aim at the officiating, which he described as “grotesque” – and not that of referee Frank Willenborg, but that of video assistant referee Daniel Schlager.

“The referee had a decent game, but I don’t understand what was going on in the background, I’m sorry. It was weak, incomprehensible, arbitrary,” Rose said, according to Kicker.

Rose has stated several times in the past that he’s not a fan of VAR, calling a number of controversial scenes in Saturday’s game “water on the mill”.

Among other things, the Leipzig coach was unhappy that the video assistant referee didn’t intervene in the 61st minute when Xavi Simons was brought down by Sepp van den Berg.

The Leipzig coach called it a “clear penalty” and accused the video assistant referee of arbitrariness because, unlike the challenge on Xavi Simons, Xaver Schlager’s challenge on Jonahtan Burkardt towards the end of the game was reviewed.

“He came forward in a situation where nobody knew why because it simply wasn’t a foul by Xaver,” Rose fumed.

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