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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
David Byrom & Bobby Vincent

Rio Ferdinand agrees with Jurgen Klopp over disallowed Liverpool goal

Rio Ferdinand has agreed with Jurgen Klopp over the time it takes VAR to make decisions in matches.

A much-changed Liverpool side were held to a 1-1 draw by Midtjylland in their final Champions League group stage match on Wednesday evening in a game fraught wth controversy.

There were three lengthy VAR stoppages in the second half, with both sides having a goal ruled out and Caoimhin Kelleher giving away a penalty despite an offside flag being raised.

Liverpool thought they had won the game late on when Takumi Minamino turned the ball in from close range, only for it to be disallowed by VAR due to a handball from Sadio Mane.

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Speaking post-match Klopp was critical of how long the decision took, which Ferdinand agreed with, although he admitted that VAR had reached the correct calls.

Ferdinand told BT Sport: "Initially, I thought it was gonna be a goal, but then we’re fortunate enough to be able to see it.

"With the time it takes for VAR to make these decisions, we got a real good look at it. It does hit Mane’s hand, and it was the right decision in the end.

"I agree with Klopp, though, the time it takes, you can see it in slow-mo easily, but we’re sitting here for four/five minutes. Crazy. But it was a handball."

Klopp - a staunch advocate for player welfare in this coronavirus-impacted season - said waiting so long for decisions to be made in Denmark in mid-December was not an ideal situation and admitted he is starting to change his mind on VAR due to situations like that.

"It just took too long. I think in the end, I didn’t see it back, the decisions were right but it was so difficult it took three or four minutes and it was cold for the boys," he said.

"It is really hard and I could hear people saying ‘Oh my God’. It took really long and it was really cold, which doesn’t help.

"I used to be one of the people who said VAR is a good idea, I’m really not sure if I would say that again to be honest. But now we have it."

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