VAR officials who approved Haaland’s goal in Manchester derby suspended

The VAR officials who approved Erling Haaland’s goal in the Manchester derby in the English Premier League have been suspended until the end of the international break. Pro Ref said the decision was wrong in the match Manchester City won 1-0 against Manchester United.

Scraper SystemSeptember 15, 2026, 08:48 PM

VAR officials who approved Haaland’s goal in Manchester derby suspended

The VAR officials who approved Erling Haaland’s goal in the Manchester derby between Manchester City and Manchester United in the English Premier League have been suspended until the end of the international break.

Haaland’s goal in the 60th minute was initially ruled out for offside. After a VAR review, the Norwegian player’s position was deemed legal and the goal was allowed to stand. However, it was determined that Haaland’s teammate Enzo Fernandez had been in an offside position.

Professional Game Referees, the refereeing body, deemed the video assistant referees’ decision incorrect and decided to review the incident further. The organization’s chairman, Howard Webb, announced that the officials would not be assigned to matches until the end of the international break.

Webb said the decision had left him and the officials disappointed. Manchester City moved into second place in the league with 12 points after beating Manchester United 1-0 in the derby, while Manchester United sit 13th with 4 points.