The Premier League has received a letter from one of the clubs with a proposal to abolish VAR

The English Premier League has received a letter from Wolverhampton Wanderers proposing the abolition of VAR, as reported by The Athletic.

The Wolves have submitted an official resolution to initiate a vote at the league's annual general meeting on June 6 regarding the removal of VAR from the start of the 2024/25 season. The introduction of the system took place in the 2019/20 season and was a decision made conscientiously and in the best interests of football and the Premier League.

However, as the club notes, this has led to numerous unintended negative consequences that strain the relationship between fans and football and undermine the value of the Premier League brand.

"There are no accusations—we are all simply seeking the best possible outcome for football, and all stakeholders have worked diligently to try to make the introduction of additional technology successful.

However, after five seasons of VAR in the Premier League, it is time for constructive and critical debates about its future. Our position is that the cost we pay for a slight increase in accuracy contradicts the spirit of our game; as a result, we must remove it from the 2024/25 season," the statement from Wolverhampton reads.

Wolverhampton outlined the main reasons why the VAR system should be abolished in the Premier League:

• Impact on goal celebrations and spontaneous passion, which make football special.
• Disappointment and confusion in stadiums due to prolonged VAR checks and poor communication.
• A more hostile atmosphere with protests, booing of the Premier League anthem, and chants against VAR.
• Overstepping the initial purpose of VAR—correcting clear and obvious errors—to now excessive analysis of subjective decisions and disrupting the flow and integrity of the game.
• Reduced accountability of officials on the field due to the safety net of VAR, leading to erosion of authority on the pitch.
• Persisting errors despite VAR, where fans cannot accept human error after multiple reviews, undermining trust in refereeing standards.
• Disruption of the Premier League's fast-paced nature due to prolonged VAR checks and more added time, leading to excessively long matches.
• Constant discussions about VAR decisions often overshadow the match itself and tarnish the league's reputation.
• Undermining trust and reputation when VAR fuels baseless accusations of corruption.

In response, the Premier League stated that they, along with the clubs, will certainly facilitate discussion on this issue.

"Clubs have the right to put forward proposals at shareholders' meetings, and we acknowledge the concerns and issues related to the use of VAR. However, the league fully supports the use of VAR and, along with PGMOL, continues to improve the system," the response reads.

It's worth noting that to adopt a corresponding decision, 14 out of 20 Premier League clubs must vote in favor of abolishing the use of VAR.

As a reminder, the top Swedish league Allsvenskan officially rejected the introduction of VAR. All 16 clubs in Allsvenskan voted against it, along with two clubs from the second division.