Sturm win

Bundesliga admits three VAR errors in Klagenfurt

Referee Alan Kijas

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

The Bundesliga match between Austria Klagenfurt and Sturm Graz became hectic on several occasions. Two disputed penalty situations were ultimately decisive in Sturm Graz's 2-0 victory. However, the Bundesliga has now admitted in its review of the VAR decisions that referee Kijas and the VAR made three glaring mistakes.

In the VAR review of the 3rd round, which the Bundesliga published after a review with the responsible parties, the following mistakes were admitted in Sturm Graz's 2-0 win over Austria Klagenfurt last Saturday:

• Minute 15: Klagenfurt striker Toshevski deliberately hits Sturm defender Wüthrich in the face with his elbow without any chance of getting the ball. The referee should have sent off the Klagenfurt player with a red card for assault. The VAR should have recommended an on-field review. That didn't happen, there wasn't even a yellow card for the Klagenfurt player.
• Minute 58: Austria winger Straudi is pushed in the opponent's penalty area in the shooting motion, loses his balance and is therefore unable to take a controlled shot. The referee should have awarded a penalty and shown Sturm player Lavalee a red card for thwarting a clear goalscoring opportunity. This was also not penalized and the game continued as normal.
• Minute 67: Jonas Kühn (Klagenfurt) and Mika Biereth (Sturm) fight for the ball in an aerial duel in the penalty area, the Klagenfurt player gets the ball on his arm. Referee Alan Kijas allows play to continue, but the VAR intervenes - and the referee goes for an "on-field review". However, as the TV images did not show a clear wrong decision by the referee, the VAR should not have intervened at all.

The retrospective VAR check in detail: var-oesterreich.at/season-24-25-var-review-3-round/

Klagenfurt are now bottom of the table with just one point after three rounds and have to face WSG Tirol on Saturday.