Pro Ref Suspends 2 VAR Officials After Wrongly Allowing Erling Haaland’s Goal

• Pro Ref informed Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus that they would not be assigned fixtures in the next round of Premier League matches
• The decision came after chief refereeing officer Howard Webb reviewed a controversial VAR call during Sunday's Manchester derby
• The error centred on Erling Haaland's 60th-minute goal, which Donohue cleared despite a separate offside infringement by Enzo Fernández

Two VAR officials have been stood down from their Premier League duties following a critical error during Sunday's Manchester derby, a match that ended in a dramatic victory for Manchester City.

Pro Ref, the body responsible for professional match officials in England, told Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus that they would not be considered for selection in the next round of Premier League fixtures, scheduled for next weekend.

As noted by Goal, Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb took the decision together with his management team after reviewing the weekend's action. The pair's availability for future assignments will be reconsidered after the international break.

VAR wrongly allowed Haaland's goal

The controversy arose in the 60th minute when Norwegian forward Erling Haaland put 10-man Manchester City ahead in the derby at Old Trafford.

Referee Michael Oliver had flagged the effort offside, but Donohue was called upon to examine the decision using semi-automated offside technology. His review found Haaland to be onside, and the goal was confirmed.

The problem, however, was not with Haaland's position. While clearing the City striker, Donohue missed a separate offside infringement involving Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernández, who had been in an offside position and influenced play during the move.

Pro Ref said that this oversight should have led Donohue to recommend that Oliver conduct an on-field review rather than simply allowing the goal to stand.

As noted by Tuko, the choice to remove both officials signals how gravely the governing body views the lapse. The mistake altered the outcome of one of the most high-profile fixtures in the English football calendar, and the failure to follow the correct procedure at a decisive moment has drawn sharp criticism.

Webb and his management team conducted a thorough review before arriving at their decision, which covers the upcoming round of matches before the officials' futures are reconsidered.

Pro Ref apologises to Manchester United

Legit.ng previously reported that Pro Ref apologised to Manchester United after a human error cost them in the Manchester derby on Sunday.

The refereeing body acknowledged the mistake, but the deed was done, and Manchester City took advantage of a controversial goal to win the derby.