Referee, then I am. Orsato’s anthropocentric revolution

VAR is a tremendous enigma, even more so than the man himself, who is already quite a mystery. Perhaps this is why Orsato, the new referee coach (for that is what he is: a coach), has decided to reverse the order of priorities. The man comes first and the machine second. Every mistake is purely the result of his own initiative, because the decisions he makes are unlikely to be corrected by the VAR technology.

And whilst the first cobwebs are appearing on the ceiling in Lissone, it is only right to ask ourselves why a path so at odds with the recent past has been taken. We must digress for a few lines to express our utmost human solidarity with Gianluca Rocchi, who was splashed across the front page like a monster simply for trying to make VAR indisputable – a colossal error that alienated him from the man, provoking his unhinged reaction. Rocchi miscalculated his strategy and, in good faith, set in motion a revolution for which no one will ever be prepared: the machine in place of the man. The referee, stripped of all authority, has, as it were, been lost in a whirlpool, sinking to the bottom like a useless object. Hence the rebellion, fuelled by the bayonets of certain petty men ready to kill an innocent man just to survive. That digression over, I shall continue.

VAR is an enigma because it explains far less than one might think. The image distorts reality, rather than clarifying it. I have spoken about this often, including in these pages. VAR is like a moving painting, where one does not grasp the intention but only a representation of it. It is pure abstraction, a deconstruction of the truth. Only the referee has a true perception of what is actually happening; he may be quick, clear-headed and courageous, or slow, muddled and timid. The difference lies entirely with him. A good referee sees almost everything; a poor one sees almost nothing. Rocchi made the mistake of wanting to sideline the latter category – the poor ones. The weaker officials have resented him, unaware that from today on it will be even harder for them to survive. Orsato is a pragmatic Venetian who expresses himself simply and clearly. He has chosen the anthropocentric path, putting everyone on the same level—the weak and the strong alike—taking risks, in the hope of shaping fully-formed consciences, even before they become referees. In short, courageous, honest and self-assured men, ready to sidestep mistakes as one would avoid a cat in the street – with a quick sidestep.

From today, the referees’ task is to make decisions, whilst VAR will observe everything from above with the spirit of a god (Orsato?), who undertakes to correct man only in the event of serious breaches. They will end up forgiving almost everyone, except the same old incompetents, who are incapable by nature, and who will eventually stumble and then fall, victims of their own shortcomings and of a foolish slander perpetuated simply to stay alive.