German fans plan mass VAR protests this weekend to demand abolition of the technology

German supporters’ groups have united to stage mass protests against VAR this weekend, using the opening round of the German Cup as their platform to demand the technology be scrapped entirely from the domestic game.

The timing is deliberate. German Cup first-round rules require lower-league clubs to host matches at their own grounds, and those venues cannot accommodate VAR infrastructure — meaning this weekend’s games will be played without it. Protesters say fans will “see football as it should: without VAR and, therefore, authentic, immediate and full of excitement.”

A joint statement from the fans’ groups, titled VAR is robbing us of the joy of football, sets out the core grievance: “Instead of spontaneous joy after a goal, there are now doubts about a possible review. VAR has destroyed the most emotional moment of the game. We want to return to that state permanently and are therefore calling for the abolition of Video Assistant Refereeing in German football.”

The statement also argues that the system has fundamentally changed the character of the sport over the nine years it has been in use. “While football thrives on intensity and rhythm, the flow of the game suffers significantly from protracted interruptions,” it reads. “Even fans who were initially open to and positive about the innovation now acknowledge that VAR has fundamentally altered the character of the game.”

The protests come at an awkward moment for the technology’s advocates. VAR is actually being handed an expanded role in top-tier matches this season, with the system now able to review second yellow cards — a development trialled at the World Cup. It will also be used to check whether a foul was committed before a set-piece was taken, with any infringement resulting in the goal being disallowed and the set-piece retaken.

It remains unclear exactly what form the protests will take, though German fans have a well-established track record of direct action on contentious football issues. Previous campaigns over ticket prices, kick-off times, and the Bundesliga’s proposed private investment fund deal have seen tennis balls and chocolate coins thrown onto pitches.

The majority of first-round German Cup ties begin on Friday. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are absent from this weekend’s schedule, with both clubs involved in the German Super Cup on Saturday before returning to cup action in early September — Bayern travel to Osnabruck on 2 September, while Dortmund visit HEBC the day before.