Marco Silva
Fulham has reached out to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following a contentious decision during their recent Premier League match against Liverpool. Florian Wirtz’s goal, which helped Liverpool draw level at 1-1, was initially flagged offside. However, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, the goal was allowed to stand, leading to a 2-2 draw after both teams scored in stoppage time.
Marco Silva said: “It was a clear offside. We are still waiting for some feedback from the Premier League, from PGMOL, because it is very important for us. We didn’t have the one to make us understand why and not have the same opinion. Not just me… me, my staff, our football club, all the other players, fans. I think if you go to ask all Premier League [teams, each club] is going to have the same opinion. All the people that love football will have the same opinion as myself.”
Florian Wirtz told Sky Sports: “I was sure it was offside so I didn’t even celebrate.”
The controversy stems from the VAR’s decision to apply a tolerance level of about 5cm, which was introduced to account for inaccuracies in the offside technology. This tolerance allows a player to be marginally offside but ruled onside when applied. The Premier League has retained this tolerance level with the semi-automated offside system currently in use. In Wirtz’s case, the VAR and TV broadcasters selected different frames to assess the offside position, with the VAR’s choice showing Wirtz onside.
Silva also expressed frustration over the inconsistency of the tolerance level application, referencing a previous incident involving Emile Smith Rowe’s disallowed goal against Crystal Palace. Silva questioned, “Where was the story about 5cm tolerance when we scored against Palace? It was half of the nail, probably 1cm or 2cm that was offside.”
The dialogue between Fulham and PGMOL is expected to continue as part of PGMOL’s ongoing engagement with clubs under the leadership of Howard Webb. Fulham seeks clarity on the decision-making process to ensure consistency and fairness in future matches.
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