14.10.2026 13:16
A striking assessment came from former referee Deniz Çoban regarding Galatasaray's disallowed goal against Barcelona. Examining the VAR intervention, Çoban said that the offside decision was one hundred percent correct.
In the match where Galatasaray lost 4-1 to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League, the yellow-and-red side's disallowed goal became a topic of debate. Former referee and sports writer Deniz Çoban, while evaluating the performance of Italian referee Marco Guida, who officiated the match, also clarified the goal that was ruled invalid following the VAR review.
"THE CANCELLATION DECISION WAS 100% CORRECT"
Evaluating the offside position in Galatasaray's disallowed goal, Deniz Çoban stated that the VAR intervention was correct. Çoban emphasized that the offside line drawn was extremely clear and expressed that both the VAR warning and the disallowance of the goal were absolutely correct decisions.
WHY WAS THE 3D OFFSIDE IMAGE NOT USED?
Also speaking about the offside lines displayed on screen after the position, Çoban explained why the semi-automatic offside system was not used. The former referee noted that in positions where players are very close to each other in the penalty area, the system can have difficulty distinguishing body parts. He therefore reported that instead of 3D animation, offside checks were performed with traditional 2D lines.
HE LIKED MARCO GUIDA'S OFFICIATING
Also evaluating the performance of the match referee Marco Guida, Deniz Çoban said that the Italian referee displayed calm and successful officiating.
Noting that Guida reflected his Serie A experience on the pitch, Çoban pointed out that no controversial penalty or important card situation that would raise tensions occurred in the match.
"THE PLAYERS' RESPECT MADE THE REFEREE'S JOB EASIER"
Deniz Çoban also stated that the respect the players of the two teams showed for each other and for the game made the referee's job easier. The former referee noted that the Galatasaray-Barcelona match was a contest in which football, rather than refereeing decisions, came to the fore.