English Football League teams reject video technology that could have impacted several African stars playing in the division.
Championship clubs have unanimously turned down the opportunity to introduce a VAR challenge system for the upcoming 2024-25 season, the English Football League announced this week. The decision means England's second tier will continue operating without video assistant referee technology, despite its widespread adoption across Europe's top divisions.
The proposed challenge system would have allowed each team two opportunities per match to request video reviews of key decisions, similar to systems used in other sports. However, clubs cited concerns over costs, match flow disruption, and the potential for inconsistent implementation across the 24-team league.
This decision particularly impacts the growing contingent of African talent lighting up the Championship, including players like Ghana's Antoine Semenyo at Bristol City and Nigeria's Josh Maja, who have experienced crucial moments that could have benefited from video review technology. With several Premier League-bound African stars using the Championship as their pathway to England's top flight, the absence of VAR remains a talking point.
The EFL confirmed that while Championship clubs rejected the system, discussions about video technology implementation will continue. League officials emphasized that the decision reflects clubs' current priorities around maintaining competitive balance and controlling operational costs rather than any fundamental opposition to technological advancement in football.
