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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called on football teams to take matters into their own hands and “do better” in order to avoid relying on controversial video assistant referee decisions.
Guardiola, who has long voiced concerns about VAR’s impact on the game, said that his Manchester City team has often found themselves on the wrong end of these decisions. He pointed to the 2024 and 2025 FA Cup final defeats as examples where he felt VAR did not work in their favour.
The Spaniard expressed frustration over what he saw as mistakes by both referees and VAR during these critical moments.
“We lost the two finals of the FA Cup because the referees didn’t do their jobs they should do, even the VAR,” Guardiola said.
The manager acknowledged that while VAR can be a contentious tool, players can ensure that decisions do not influence the outcome.
“When this happens, it is because we have to do better, not the referees or VAR,” he added, further emphasising his belief that teams must focus on improving their own performance rather than relying on external factors.
“Always I learned you have to do it better, do it better, be in a position to do it better because you blame yourself with what you have to do, because (VAR) is a flip of a coin.”
Guardiola’s comments come after another controversial VAR decision saw relegation-threatened West Ham denied a last-minute equaliser against Arsenal last Sunday, leaving Manchester City five points behind the league leaders.
However, Guardiola remained focused on improving his side’s performance, saying there is little point in dwelling on past results. As his team prepares to face Crystal Palace in a crucial Premier League clash, he reiterated that the key to success lies in control and focus.
