Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is the latest critic of the VAR system after claiming referees are changing the way they approach the game because of it.
The German believes officials are letting play go on even when they think there may have been an infringement as they are expecting to be corrected by the technology.
Klopp was venting his frustration after the 1-1 draw at Manchester United which ended their 17-match winning run in the Premier League after Marcus Rashford's opening goal was allowed to stand despite him claiming Divock Origi was fouled 70 yards up the pitch in the build-up.
"I'm sure Mr [Martin] Atkinson, if there was not VAR involved, would have whistled [for a foul] but he let it go because someone else could make the decision – but someone else is not making the decision," said the Liverpool manager, who had no issue with Sadio Mane's first-half goal being ruled out by VAR for handball, before substitute Adam Lallana snatched a late equaliser.
"Like the penalty Man City didn't get [against Crystal Palace on Saturday] ... Come on, it was 100 per cent a penalty, nothing else, But VAR was not clear enough to say 'Overrule it'.
"We need to discuss it in general, because how the process works is important. I think it is good, VAR. The only way it really works is handball and offside.
"But the process where the ref makes a decision because they have VAR but then VAR says 'No, that's fine', that doesn't work.
"On the pitch the referee decides to let it run because we have VAR, but it is not overruled because it is not 'obvious' ... that makes no sense."
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was less bothered about VAR – "No chance, we're not playing basketball. He [Victor Lindelof] touched him but it's not a clear and obvious error" – and more interested in an improved performance from his under-pressure side.
"They deserved more than the one point I felt, and it feels worse because it [equaliser] was towards the end of the game," said the Norwegian, whose side are 13th in the table, still only two points off the bottom three.
"We set the team up to attack and be aggressive and create chances, and I thought we did that.
"We were more direct. Dan [James], Marcus, Andreas [Pereira] caused them problems. The energy they had on and off the ball.
"We did well, well enough for them to change their system. That's a pat on the back for the boys, but they put us on the back foot [in the] second half.
"We are better when we attack quickly. No dilly-dallying on the ball; play it forward. I talked about it before the game – play the ball forward, take more risks. It doesn't matter if you lose the ball up there, because you can win it back.
"I'm disappointed that I can't sit here and talk about the win, but the performance is very positive. One point was the start of something, but we're still disappointed that we didn't get three.
"We're not excited because we got one point off a good team – we need to start winning games."
Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics
At Eternity’s Gate
Director: Julian Schnabel
Starring: Willem Dafoe, Oscar Isaacs, Mads Mikkelsen
Three stars
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
