Masked football fans sabotage VAR monitor in wild protest at German football match

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A football game in Germany was disrupted when fans interfered with the video review equipment, leaving the referee with a difficult call to make.

Football fans worldwide are frustrated with how VAR impacts the game, and this weekend, two Preussen Munster fans took things into their own hands with a clever protest.

Rather than allowing the referee to review the play using the video assistant referee system, someone damaged the equipment, forcing them to make a decision without any assistance.

No VAR monitor, no VAR decision in 2. Bundesliga match

The 2. Bundesliga game between Preussen Munster and Hertha Berlin was scoreless at halftime on Sunday. Shortly after, a foul inside the penalty area caused confusion, with the referee and video assistant referee (VAR) carefully reviewing the play to determine if Hertha should be awarded a penalty.

Two Munster rugby fans, unhappy with how things were going, ran onto the field and took the power cable connected to the video review monitor, preventing the referee from reviewing a play. They were wearing masks to cover their faces.

In a wild scene from a 2026 German Second Division match, two fans of MSV Münster ran onto the field during a game against Hertha Berlin and actually stole the cable for the VAR system! This caused the video screen to go dark, just as the referee was about to review a play.

— Topskills Sports UK (@topskillsportuk) March 8, 2026

However, the plan didn’t go as expected. Bickel couldn’t reach a decision on his own and had to review the video footage again, marking the specific moment in question. Ultimately, the final decision went to VAR official Katrin Rafalski, who determined that a penalty should be given.

Hertha Berlin scored from the penalty kick and went on to win the game 2-1 with a goal in the final moments of injury time.

Perhaps if they hadn’t interfered with the cable and allowed him to see the replay, the play wouldn’t have been called a penalty.

SC Preussen Munster has publicly denounced the actions of those who took the law into their own hands and promised to take steps to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

Are football referees too dependent on VAR?

It happens all too frequently in the English Premier League: a player scores, but instead of celebrating immediately, they have to wait several minutes while video review officials meticulously check for offside or any possible fouls by examining the footage.

It’s understandable that fans are frustrated by the delays in games, as they really take the excitement out of watching. What’s even more annoying, though, is that mistakes are still happening even after all that time spent reviewing the plays.

The fact that fans at a recent game in Germany displayed a banner saying “Pull the plug on VAR” shows how frustrated many are with technology impacting the sport. It’s clear a significant number of fans have simply had enough of VAR’s interference.

Many fans would likely prefer a return to the old system, where referees made decisions based on their judgment, and occasional mistakes were accepted as part of the game. While not flawless, it was much quicker and less frustrating than the current approach.

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2026-03-09 23:19