Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino trusts VAR's 'car - but not the driver'

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his concerns about the complexity of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, echoing widespread criticism of the system following a series of contentious decisions.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has expressed his concerns about the complexity of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, echoing widespread criticism of the system following a series of contentious decisions.

One such incident occurred during Liverpool's 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last Saturday when a goal was incorrectly disallowed. The referee group, Professional Game Match Officials Ltd, attributed this error to "significant human error." Liverpool, in response, argued that this VAR mistake had a detrimental impact on the integrity of the sport.

"I trust in VAR. I trust in the car - but not the driver. That is the problem," Pochettino told reporters on Friday ahead of his side's trip to promoted Burnley.

"I was very critical from the beginning, many years ago," when VAR was introduced, he said. "I think it's a good decision to use the technology of whether (the ball) is across the line and if it is offside, to take time is important. Then we can discuss and argue about whether the referee needs to be more involved, to have the last say."