'Where are you? Wow. It is so, so bad' - Emery's remarkable VAR rant
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says VAR made a "huge mistake" in not sending off Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson in their Europa League semi-final first leg.
Coverage by Political Leaning
See how different sides of the spectrum reported this story
Notable Quotes
"It's a clear red card - I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"The VAR has a huge responsibility and he must give us an explanation. It is crazy!"
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"He could break his ankle. Wow. VAR, where are you? Please, it's your responsibility."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"The referee was fantastic, but the VAR was so bad."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"It is a huge mistake, a huge mistake, because Ollie Watkins was close to breaking his ankle."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"We know that when we play again we will face another tough game."
— Vítor Pereira , Athlete
"It is a huge mistake - a huge mistake. Ollie Watkins was close to breaking his ankle."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"The VAR is so, so bad. It's a clear red card - I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"I appreciate how he managed the match for 90 minutes."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"It's a clear red card, I don't understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it's so clear."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"VAR, where are you? It was so clear for everybody."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"Fantastic the referee, fantastic. But the VAR is so so bad. It’s a clear red card, I don’t understand why the VAR is not calling the referee because it’s so clear."
— Unai Emery , Athlete
"They are a very tough team, but we competed with them. I like to see us playing football, trying to score."
— Vitor Pereira , Executive
Key People
Chris Wood is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Nottingham Forest.
Elliot Anderson is a midfielder for Nottingham Forest and an England international.
Emiliano Martinez is an Argentina goalkeeper playing for Aston Villa.
Joao Pinheiro is the referee who officiated the match.
João Pinheiro is a referee officiating in professional football matches.
Lucas Digne is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender.
Ollie Watkins is an England football player who plays as a forward.
Omari Hutchinson is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for Nottingham Forest.
Tiago Martins is a Portuguese video assistant referee.
Unai Emery is a football manager known for leading teams in major league competitions.
Vitor Pereira is the head coach of Nottingham Forest.
Vítor Pereira is the coach of Nottingham Forest.
Tags
All Coverage
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery says VAR made a "huge mistake" in not sending off Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson in their Europa League semi-final first leg.
Unai Emery expressed frustration over VAR's failure to penalize Elliot Anderson's tackle on Ollie Watkins, claiming it was a 'huge mistake'.
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery criticized VAR for not sending off Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson after a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins.
Unai Emery criticized VAR for failing to send off Elliot Anderson after a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins in the Europa League semi-final first leg.
Unai Emery criticized VAR for not recommending a red card for Elliot Anderson after a dangerous tackle on Ollie Watkins during the Europa League semi-final first leg.
Unai Emery questioned VAR's decision not to penalize Elliot Anderson for a tackle on Ollie Watkins during the Europa League semi-final first leg.
Similar Stories
Related coverage based on topic and tags
Brentford extend unbeaten start as Ajer secures draw at Aston Villa
Brentford extend their unbeaten start to the new Premier League season as Kristoffer Ajer scores late to earn his side a 2-2 draw at Aston Villa, who's wait for a first home Premier League win of the season goes on.
October 10, 2026 at 07:00 PMVilla eye Endrick loan deal - Wednesday's gossip
Aston Villa might lure Endrick to the Premier League, Bournemouth fight to keep hold of Alex Scott, top clubs are keen on Rayan Cherki, plus more.
October 6, 2026 at 08:20 PM'Outfought' and 'not good enough' - Robertson on Scotland defeat
Scotland were "outfought" and simply "not good enough" in their 2-1 Nations League defeat by Slovenia, according to captain Andy Robertson.
October 6, 2026 at 10:13 PMMan City titles 'absolutely not' tainted - Maresca
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca says the club's titles are "absolutely not" tainted after they were found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
October 9, 2026 at 10:24 AMArbeloa 'doesn't feel fear' but pressure increases after loss
Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa says he does not 'feel fear' after defeat at Ipswich left his side winless in six games and bottom of the Premier League.
October 10, 2026 at 07:03 PMMaresca says 'feeling is fantastic' among Man City squad
Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca says the "feeling is fantastic" among his players and that they "don't care too much about the noise" surrounding the club after it was found guilty of the majority of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League.
October 8, 2026 at 04:10 PM