Struijk red card: two panels split on VAR call — SkimNews
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- Pascal Struijk was shown a red card following a VAR review for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity in Brighton’s 2-0 win over Sunderland, after fouling Wilson Isidor as the ball ran toward goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen
- An independent regulatory commission overturned Struijk’s red card and one-match ban after Brighton appealed, ruling the dismissal was wrongful
- The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel voted 3-2 that the VAR intervention was correct, stating Struijk committed a cynical foul that impacted Isidor’s ability to gain possession
- Two KMI panellists dissented, arguing it was subjective whether Isidor would have controlled the ball ahead of the goalkeeper, and therefore the VAR intervention was incorrect
- Former Premier League referees Mike Dean and Dermot Gallagher and Sky Sports analysts Michael Dawson and Jay Bothroyd questioned the red card, with Dean calling it 'very harsh' and not 'clear and obviously wrong'
- The Premier League stated the KMI panel and independent regulatory commission serve different purposes and processes, explaining why they can reach divergent conclusions on the same incident
Why it matters: The conflicting rulings deepen confusion over VAR consistency, especially as red cards for denied goal-scoring opportunities remain rare and subjective. With officials and panels split, clubs face uncertainty in disciplinary appeals, and the league’s 'lighter-touch' VAR approach appears inconsistently applied when high-stakes decisions are overturned post-match.
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