Action against VAR

Curious! “Fish protest” causes game to be abandoned

Rosenborg coach Alfred Johansson (right) did not appreciate the protest action.(Bild: AFP/APA/NTB/Ole Martin Wold)

In Norway, a curious protest action caused the abandonment of a league match between Rosenborg Trondheim and Lilleström. The fans used fish loaves, tennis balls and pyrotechnics to express their displeasure at the introduction of VAR in the elite series. The match had to be abandoned after 32 minutes. 

The game between Rosenborg and Lilleström didn't really get anyone out of their seats for the first 20 minutes. But then the fans made sure that the game in the Norwegian Eliteserien got some attention. They started throwing fish loaves onto the pitch. 

The stewards began to remove the "fiskekaker" as the fans were already setting off pyrotechnics in the stands, accompanied by the throwing of more plastic bags full of "fish delicacies" and tennis balls. The fans were protesting against the VAR, which has now also been introduced in Norway. The match was eventually abandoned after 32 minutes as a result. 

Action causes crisis meeting
An action that ultimately made waves. The Norwegian Football Association (NFF) even called a crisis meeting. "We understand that the fans have their opinions. But we are mainly annoyed because we can't play our game," said Rosenborg coach Alfred Johansson. 

The fans, on the other hand, were satisfied: "I would say that tonight's game was a victory for the anti-VAR fans. Our aim was not to stop the game. Our goal is just to get rid of the VAR," Joacim Möller, spokesman for a Lilleström fan group, told Norwegian media. He announced that the protests against the VAR will continue - if necessary with fish loaves again.