KUALA LUMPUR: With talks that the video assistant referee (VAR) could be introduced in the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup finals next year, what about the M-League?
The FA of Malaysia (FAM), on Monday, revealed that they are in talks with two VAR service providers to bring the technology to the M-League.
FAM had said it will cost between RM4 million and RM5 million to implement VAR in the M-League for 300 matches across various venues.
FAM said they were still studying the feasibility of the project.
Malaysian Football League (MFL) chief executive officer Stuart Ramalingam felt that while VAR will be good for the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup finals (as they are uusally held at the National Stadium, most of the stadiums in the M-League were not equipped to support VAR technology.
"We need to do studies on VAR implementation, and FAM is doing so as it is under their jurisdiction. We have two staff on the committee and we are looking at VAR for the finals of the FA Cup and Malaysia Cup," said Stuart.
"We need to see who will be in the semi-finals and whether their stadiums are sufficient for VAR. For example if Kelantan enters the semi-finals, can they have it at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium? If they can't, can we play the match in a neutral venue and would it be fair to Kelantan?
"The second issue is that the stadiums are mostly owned by local authorities, we need to have a VAR room, so how is it going to be set up? Can we dismantle the VAR system and use it for other venues?"
He also said the matter of who should bear the costs of implementing VAR also needs to be looked into.
"This is not just about costs and infrastructure. We really need to do comprehensive studies," said Stuart who also stressed that VAR was not the solution to refereeing errors, and that referee development should continue.
"We see VAR issues and criticism in the English Premier League, and we will probably see it during the World Cup as well. VAR is not the total solution to refereeing mistakes," said Stuart.
"Beside VAR, FAM have programmes for referees. Every league has issues with referees. I agree that the refereeing quality can be better here. We have over 300 matches but there are only around 20 valid reports against referees.
"There are various ways to fund VAR. In some leagues the cost is borne by the clubs, FAs or the league organisers."