Pro Ref apologises to Manchester United over Haaland's controversial derby winner

Pro Ref have apologised to Manchester United and admitted an ‘error of judgement’ after VAR allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal to stand in Manchester City’s Premier League victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, despite Enzo Fernandez being in an offside position during the same attack.

The refereeing body issued a statement clarifying the sequence of events from the 60th minute. Haaland’s goal was initially flagged offside against the Norwegian, but a VAR check found him to be onside. The controversy centred on Fernandez, who was in an offside position and made an attempt to connect with Josko Gvardiol’s cross before Haaland converted.

A Pro Ref spokesperson said: “In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.”

The statement confirmed that contact had been made with Manchester United directly. “Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement,” the spokesperson added. “A review of the incident will take place.”

The crux of the debate lies in the interpretation of ‘interfering with play.’ Under the laws of the game, a player in an offside position can be penalised if they interfere with an opponent’s ability to play the ball, even without making direct contact. Pro Ref’s acknowledgement suggests their officials believe Fernandez’s presence was significant enough to have warranted a closer look by the VAR official — a review that did not happen.

The admission is a rare public concession from the officiating body and is likely to intensify scrutiny of VAR decision-making in high-profile fixtures. Whether the apology has any bearing beyond the formal acknowledgement remains to be seen, as results in English football cannot be overturned after the fact.