Gareth Southgate confirms England have lodged complaint over VAR decisions at the FIFA World Cup

England manager Gareth Southgate has confirmed that the Three Lions have lodged a report over video assistant referee (VAR) intervention, fearing that they are being targeted at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Southgate believes that his players have a target on their back, courtesy of a video shown to the referees before the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the video, England were used as an example, highlighting how Kalvin Phillips blocked off a defender to allow Harry Maguire to score against Albania.

The VAR did not intervene when Maguire was brought down in the penalty box in their 2022 FIFA World Cup opener against Iran (6-2 win). The following day, Argentina received a penalty for an identical foul on Leandro Paredes.

Southgate fears the referees are on the lookout for England in set-piece situations. Revealing why he lodged a report with FIFA, Southgate said (via the Mirror):

“We put a report in. We haven’t heard anything back as yet. There was obviously a penalty given the next afternoon [foul on Argentina's Leandro Paredes] so whether that was a consequence of our game being reviewed by the referees or not… it’s hard to say. But we haven’t had a response yet."

“We sat in the referees’ meeting and we made those points. The concern is the consistency. We know what we’ve got to do right and we know we risk being punished for certain things.”

He concluded:

“I think for all the teams in the tournament, there is a worry when you’re not quite sure what’s going to be given and that uncertainty on the field and from the VAR as well.”

Southgate’s England will take on the USA in their second Group B fixture on Friday night (25 November).

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Gareth Southgate not surprised by upsets at 2022 FIFA World Cup

Less than a week into the 2022 FIFA World Cup, fans have already been treated to two massive upsets.

On Tuesday (22 November), Saudi Arabia recorded a stunning 2-1 comeback win over tournament favorites Argentina. On Wednesday (23 November), Japan fashioned an equally impressive 2-1 comeback victory over four-time winners Germany.

Southgate has been left impressed by the underdogs’ performances but is not surprised. The England manager claimed that the sharing of tactical ideas across the globe was the reason for such stunning results.

Southgate said:

“That process has been ongoing for a while. There is definitely greater sharing of tactical ideas across the globe and you see a more globalized game, if you like. We weren’t surprised because in the lead-in to our game with the States, we had seen them play Saudi and Japan [both in Sept]. So we knew Japan, in particular, we very very strong in that game."

“So you’ve got to be at your very best. It’s a reminder that when I’m moaning about the players for letting two in, I should have been happy with three points, really! And got on with that. You’ve got to be ready for every team because every team is well coached and tactically aware.”