Press Conference Summary: Hurzeler Defends VAR System Ahead of Old Trafford Visit
Fabian Hürzeler faced the media at Old Trafford this week with one subject dominating the agenda: VAR.
The Brighton head coach was asked directly about the system’s recent failings in Manchester, and rather than criticise the technology, he chose to back it.
That stance arrives at an awkward moment, with video review under fresh scrutiny following a string of high-profile errors involving Manchester United’s recent opponents.
Brighton arrive at Old Trafford full of confidence. Hürzeler’s side head into the Carabao Cup tie on the back of a run that has included a commanding 4-0 win over Aston Villa and a gritty response after conceding late, detailed in our report on Brighton’s fightback after a recent draw.
Hürzeler has also shown a willingness to trust his squad depth, having handed teenagers starts against Leeds, a selection pattern that could resurface for a cup tie away at a Premier League rival.
Against that backdrop, Hürzeler was pressed on whether he still trusts VAR after a weekend of controversy at Old Trafford itself. His answer was unambiguous.
“I always said that VAR makes football more fair. That’s proven.”
It is a notably firm position for a manager whose side are about to play a match in which the technology will not even be available.
Manager Transcript & Dissection: Hurzeler on Officiating Errors and Game Rhythm
Hürzeler did not dodge the substance of the criticism levelled at officials, speaking in comments reported by The Argus.
Asked specifically about recent errors, he conceded the weekend’s events fell short of the standard the game demands.
“Of course, there are moments like at the weekend where it’s not ideal, definitely not ideal and things like this shouldn’t happen.”
Rather than dwell on blame, the Brighton head coach framed the mistake as something the system should learn from, arguing that accountability matters more than the individual incident itself.
“But in the end, it happens and what is important is will never happen again. I think that’s the main bit.”
Hürzeler was equally candid about the trade-offs VAR creates in the stadium, acknowledging that reviews disrupt the natural flow supporters and players feel during a match.
“There are always big discussions about VAR. It takes a little bit away, the emotions, it takes a little bit away, like the rhythm of the game. It’s definitely part of it.”
Despite that concession, he returned to his central argument: that fewer wrong decisions outweigh the cost to atmosphere and momentum.
“But I think it’s also proven that it makes the game more fair, that there are less wrong decisions.”
Taken together, the transcript shows a manager unwilling to join the chorus of criticism directed at officials, even while accepting that recent standards have slipped.
It is a balanced position rather than a defensive one. Hürzeler is not claiming the system is flawless; he is arguing that the alternative, a game without video review, produces more errors, not fewer.
For a coach whose side are about to experience exactly that alternative in a live fixture, the comments carry extra weight. He closed by turning the conversation towards matters within his control.
“In the end, we have to accept it like it is, and we have to focus on the things we can control, and that’s how the team will play.”
Manchester United Reaction: Recent Controversies Surrounding Old Trafford Officiating
Hürzeler’s comments land amid a torrid run of officiating headlines at Old Trafford.
Manchester United were recently beaten by a Manchester City goal that should have been disallowed, a decision that intensified pressure on both the on-field officials and the VAR team responsible for reviewing it.
The error added to a growing list of grievances from supporters and pundits who feel the video system has failed to deliver the consistency it was introduced to provide.
Scrutiny deepened further around an incident involving Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes, after which Foden was sent off. The decision, and VAR’s role in confirming it, became a flashpoint in the wider debate about how the technology is applied to red-card incidents compared with goal-line and penalty decisions.
Neither Manchester United nor Manchester City has an official bearing on Brighton’s preparations, but the timing means Hürzeler’s press conference inevitably touched on the wider context surrounding the ground Brighton are about to visit.
It is that backdrop, an Old Trafford already sensitive to refereeing controversy, that makes Hürzeler’s defence of VAR notable.
He is backing a system that has just contributed to two separate flashpoints involving the very club Brighton are travelling to face, without singling out officials or the technology for blame.
Incident & Rulebook Context: Cup Match Played Without Video Assistant Referees
Whatever conclusions are drawn from recent controversies, they will have no bearing on how Brighton’s trip to Old Trafford is officiated. VAR will not be active for the Carabao Cup tie between Manchester United and Brighton, meaning every contentious call will rest solely on the judgement of the officials on the pitch.
That responsibility falls to Farai Hallam, who takes charge of the fixture. It marks the first time in his career that Hallam has refereed either club, adding an additional layer of unpredictability to a match already shaped by the absence of video review.
Neither side has any record of his decision-making to draw upon, and Hallam arrives with no prior history against which either set of supporters can measure his approach.
The absence of VAR gives fresh context to Hürzeler’s press conference remarks. Having just argued that video review “makes the game more fair” by reducing wrong decisions, his side are about to play a fixture stripped of that safety net entirely.
His closing message, that Brighton must simply accept officiating as it comes and focus on their own performance, was not abstract. It is the exact situation his players face at Old Trafford, where the final say on every marginal decision belongs to the referee alone.
For Brighton, the practical upshot is straightforward. There will be no video review of penalty shouts, no offside checks via technology, and no opportunity to overturn a contentious red card once Hallam has made his decision. Hürzeler’s broader philosophy, that VAR is worth the disruption because it improves fairness, will not be tested inside Old Trafford this time.
Instead, Brighton’s Carabao Cup fortunes will hinge on an official experiencing both clubs for the very first time, operating without the assistance that has dominated the build-up to the match.
