The Kerala Blasters FC team during the training session ahead of their Indian Super League (ISL) football match against Odisha FC in Kochi on Thursday.
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU

The referees have come in for much criticism for their officiating in the ongoing Indian Super League. And Kerala Blasters head coach Ivan Vukomanovic, now back after completing the 10-match ban for his team’s controversial walkout against Bengaluru FC last season, feels that the league should make use of technologies available to make it a better place for everybody.

Without things like the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology to assist them, Vukomanovic feels the referees in the ISL are literally thrown to the lions.

“I think the support of certain aspects of technology will be very useful, that should be the next step. I have personally nothing against referees, I’m certain that they are all good guys and they always try to do the best they can. But sometimes when you see certain situations, I feel that they have been thrown to the lions,” said the Serb, who will be in the Blasters’ dugout for the first time this season in Friday’s ISL match against Odisha FC at the Nehru Stadium here, on Thursday.

“And they are told go fight with the lions…sometimes, I feel sorry for them. So with these kinds of things, I think if we don’t go for changes, these moments can kill the spirit of the game. Worldwide, these kinds of technologies are present for almost six to seven years. You need them for football development, for players, referees, teams, coaches and everybody and you have to take the next step…. it should start from the federation itself. Otherwise, many can lose interest.”

Vukomanovic revealed that the absence of such technology in the ISL puts off many quality players.

“I will give one example…in the off-season, when you are trying to rope in some foreign players, the first thing they ask you about the league is… ‘you don’t have VAR, I won’t come’. That’s the case,” he said.