Philippe Clement lists 81 countries with VAR in 10 minute press conference rant after West Brom’s Aune Heggebo scored a goal with his hand.
🗣️ “That’s why I have this, so leagues in the world that have VAR. Albania, Algeria, Argentina…”
🔰 #NCFC boss Philippe Clement lists the 81 countries in the world that have VAR following the #WBA decision
📺 https://t.co/5YrcaarEq4 pic.twitter.com/n3fJ35CsGf
— The Pink Un (@pinkun) August 21, 2026
Philippe Clement said: I think the league creates his own problems with not having VR. So I didn’t wanted to go into that after the game because you want to focus on the team and the things that we could do better, and clearly that the referees could have done better, but I know it’s real time. It goes fast and there are errors made uh by human beings. That’s why there’s VR.
“So the next morning, you’re still gutted about things and then I asked my analyst to look up in which leagues of the world there is VR. So that’s why I have this.
“So leagues in the world that we are Albania, Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Belgium, Bolivia,, Bosnia, Brazil, two leagues, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, two leagues, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Egypt, England, one league only Premier League. Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, two leagues, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Iraq, Israel, Italy, two leagues, Japan, two leagues, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malaysia, Moritania, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Portugal, two leagues, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, and you don’t need to type everything down. You can get a list afterwards from here. Don’t worry. Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, two leagues, Spain two leagues, Switzerland, Thailand, two leagues, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE, Ukraine, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela.
“So, all these leagues have VR. There are countries that never play the World Cup. Never, yeah, it’s it’s madness for me that there no VR in the Championship. And for that this this not going to change.
“So it’s not that in 3 years time everybody going to decide we’re going to stop with VR. It’s an evolution. It’s an evolution in the world. Everybody wants a more honest game. That’s why VR came. Is it with mistakes made? Yes, still. But less than this without VR and this is the prime example. This would always be disallowed with VR. So there are less mistakes make. So I don’t understand why people would go against that. Everybody wants an honest game.
“So the league wants also an honest game. That’s why they give a ban out to the player. But it could have been avoided by this because all the world is doing this. And I cannot believe in 5 years time that there’s no VR in the Championship or 3 years time. You see in the World Cup there’s evolution. There’s now a ball with the chip in that you can be even more precise. So less mistakes made again. And that’s the evolution of now. And in 6 months it’s going to be better again. And in one year it’s going to be better again. Same with the referees. You have the best league in the world with the Premier League with all the spotlights of the world on on top of that. Those referees work with VR. Is it all the time perfect? No. But it becomes every year yet better. But those referees need to learn it also somewhere. They need to have a first step in it. That should be the Championship or even lower in a league also this one where we are in the playoffs because that moment then suddenly it becomes important that we have an honest game but the 46 games before not.
“So yeah I really don’t understand why there no VR also I have to say a lot of friends out of Europe sent me messages because this clip went viral this week that went to all these countries and for probably the people in Venezuela they will be laughing about Championship saying ah we have a better league here because we have VR it’s more honest, it’s crazy a lot of people send me in what league are you working now what’s been going on there how is it possible?
“So a lot of questions asked in all the world about this situation. So the conclusion is that then the league decides to give a player a ban because he was not honest in the situation. I have more difficulty with that because it could have been avoided just by having the same like everybody in the world of football is doing. Simple.
Interviewer: But that that said, Philippe, I mean the the EFL, the Championship, they had an opportunity, didn’t they, at the end of last season to vote for some variant of VAR and as a collective they decided to go against it.
Phillipe: Yeah. My question is who decided that? I don’t think it will was players and managers. So with what intentions because okay otherwise if you vote like that you can still play with football with laces on it now. In this moment in the championship is that good for the product of football that you want also to sell outside or to sell in your league? I don’t think so. Now with this and I have really double feelings about the ban of the player also.
“Of course I’m gutted that he cheated in that moment because it cost us points at least one and maybe three points. But what are we going to do the rest of the season now with players who are for example [snorts] in the 16 they go down without contact. I’ve seen that a lot in Championship last season when they get penalties out of that. We didn’t get we did we get penalties almost not but are they going to give bans for that also now? So what are the clear instructions from the league?
“So you create so much problems for yourself just by doing something that or not doing something that all the world is doing to have a more more honest game. So are the people in the league here than smarter than all the rest of the world to make that decision? I’m really curious in five time in 5 years time. I don’t think that all the worlds will play football now without VR at that moment.
“So we are playing it in a way a different game now in championship than all these other countries also than all the national teams, all the European competitions, everything. We play a different game here. So it’s really worked for me.”
Interviewer: I said to you immediately after the game, you know, had had you gone to seek any clarification from the officials and you explained, you know, the guidance as a collective of coaches was maybe not to do that in sort of in terms of front of house, but did you thereafter that night or since have you received any clarification from the officials as to what their thought process was?
Phillipe: Yes, I went like the the rules are decided after amount of time I asked to speak about it but you cannot show the image that moment so not allowed, another for me a rule that’s not good because you only can get a dis discussion with perception of the both of both sides not a really honest discussion about what happened with clear images like I want to see also clear images before a press conference to speak with you about because in the end you need to make clear conclusions after the game.
“So it’s not allowed for the moment to use that technology together. So in the end you cannot have a discussion about things because it’s then about the perception of one person towards another person and that can create only more frustration and more discussions or worse in the future in I don’t speak about this moment but in other moments.
“So why not to use the technology that’s there to speak clearly about okay that happened and speak with the referee. Okay. What happened there? Why you didn’t see that? And maybe they have an explanation also that we are wrong in moments about this situation. It was really really 100% clear for everybody in the world. But there can be other discussions made and it only will benefit the relationship between referees and managers if we are able to do that with respect for each other.
“Also if there’s no respect of course then they need don’t need to be discussion but like this the ideas about the game can grow and we can learn also things from referees and referees can learn things of players and managers how they see certain things and the game evolves again like there are really positive things done this season like with the rules with the throw ins for example or the goalkeeper not wasting time it’s all for the benefit of a good game of football, an honest game of football, a game where everybody can come to see, okay, to get excitement.
“People don’t want to get to see goals like this and getting frustrated people afterwards with managers and referees and fans and to have this uh presentation of the Championship towards all the world of football. It’s not a good thing.”
