"I understand how upset Liverpool must be" - Pep Guardiola tells officials to 'step back' and 'be more humble' after VAR debacle

Following the VAR debacle during Liverpool's loss at Tottenham Hotspur on September 30, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has urged officials to 'be more humble'.

The controversy arose when a goal from Luis Diaz was erroneously disallowed for offside in the 34th minute on Saturday. The goal may have turned the tide of the match if allowed, but the Reds went on to lose 2-1.

Darren England, who was in charge of VAR for the game, along with assistant Dan Cook, have been temporarily suspended from this weekend's matches. The referees' governing body, PGMOL, cited the incident as a "significant human error."

Liverpool have successfully requested the release of audio recordings between referee Simon Hooper and VAR operators at Stockley Park. These recordings are expected to be publicly disclosed in the coming days.

In a press conference prior to Manchester City's UEFA Champions League encounter with RB Leipzig on October 4, Guardiola weighed in on the Liverpool situation. He expressed concerns that the current emphasis on referees and VAR detracts from the game and the players, saying (via The Athletic):

“They will have to find (a way) for the main role to be played by the players and the game itself, in all the countries not just here. The referees and VAR are the leading roles. ‘And the Oscar goes to… ‘"

He continued:

“They have to make a step back. It’s the players, and sometimes there are games where sometimes just being more humble and doing what they have to do, they will do it better. They will do it better.”

Guardiola also noted that VAR technology has altered the dynamics of decision-making for referees:

“It changed the job of the referees because now they don’t make the decisions, the important decisions are made by VAR. But then if VAR makes a mistake you have a problem."

He concluded by empathising with the Reds, saying:

“I understand completely how upset Liverpool in this case must be. The bosses of the referees will decide what we have to do and we will follow them.”

The controversy has led to a major discussion regarding the officials and their use of VAR.

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Liverpool call into question sporting integrity after VAR debacle against Tottenham

The Reds have vocally criticized the handling of a VAR error, claiming they compromised the "sporting integrity" of their 2-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur. The contentious moment occurred when Luis Diaz's goal was incorrectly disallowed due to an offside call.

PGMOL, the governing body for referees, later acknowledged the mistake as a "significant human error." Howard Webb, the head of PGMOL, extended an apology to Anfield for the oversight.

In a formal statement, Liverpool conveyed their frustration, noting (via the club's website):

"It is clear that the correct application of the laws of the game did not occur, resulting in sporting integrity being undermined. We fully accept the pressures that match officials work under but these pressures are supposed to be alleviated, not exacerbated, by the existence and implementation of VAR."

The club continued:

“It is therefore unsatisfactory that sufficient time was not afforded to allow the correct decision to be made and that there was no subsequent intervention.”

The Anfield outfit have also indicated that they are considering further actions, having seen the need for "escalation and resolution."