Aston Villa seek transparency from UEFA and VAR officials after a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League semi-final. Director Damian Vidagany and Unai Emery have united to demand an explanation for the unpunished foul on Ollie Watkins.
- Anderson’s first-half challenge on Watkins was not even booked despite VAR being active
- VAR intervened later to award Forest a penalty for Digne’s handball converting to Wood’s 1-0 goal
- Vidagany posted on X calling it an “unfair situation” and demanding UEFA’s refereeing department respond
- Emery insisted VAR has a “huge responsibility” and must provide an explanation
The incident that has enraged Villa
The talking point from Thursday’s 1-0 Europa League semi-final first-leg defeat extends well beyond Chris Wood’s penalty.
Elliot Anderson’s 31st-minute challenge on Ollie Watkins, where the Forest midfielder won the ball but followed through aggressively onto the striker’s ankle, has dominated post-match discussion and drawn furious responses from the highest levels of the Villa operation.
Referee João Pinheiro, praised effusively by Emery for his overall management of the 90 minutes, took no action at the time.
VAR did not intervene. Anderson was not even booked.
For a manager and a director of football operations who watched the replays in the hours after the game, that sequence of events is simply inexplicable.
Emery’s fury: “Where is VAR?”
Emery did not hold back when addressing the incident in his post-match press conference and his words in the hours that followed were even more pointed and specific.
The Spanish manager was categorical about both the severity of the challenge and VAR’s responsibility to act.
“I watched the action of Anderson on Watkins, and the referee did a fantastic job,” Emery stated.
“But after watching it again, it is the VAR responsibility. It is a huge mistake. A huge mistake. Ollie Watkins was close to breaking his ankle. The VAR has a huge responsibility and must give us an explanation. It is crazy.”
Furthermore, the 53-year-old placed the incident in the broader context of his belief in the system. “In football, I work 20 years as a coach, sometimes decisions are tight. I am 100 per cent with VAR, but we must manage it correctly. One action like that: there is no doubt. Where is VAR?”
The timing of VAR’s intervention active enough to award Forest a penalty for Digne’s handball later in the game makes the Anderson non-intervention even harder for Villa to accept.
The system worked in one direction on Thursday evening. Villa are entitled to ask why it did not work in both.
Vidagany’s social media message: “Unfair situation”
Villa’s director of football operations Damian Vidagany went public with his frustration on social media platform X — delivering a message that was simultaneously defiant about the second leg and pointed in its criticism of the officiating decision.
“We need to win to go to the final. At Villa Park will be our time. Match of our lives. This is not over,” he posted. “
And one important question: “If VAR came to help football and bring justice, if VAR called the referee for the penalty, why didn’t they check at least the red card for Anderson? Huge mistake of VAR referee tonight.”
Pereira’s response: diplomatic distance
Forest boss Vitor Pereira was careful to distance himself from the controversy when asked directly. “I do not know, it was five metres in front of me and my perception was that he touched the ball,” the Portuguese manager stated.
“I have not reviewed the play so I cannot speak about the situation.”
That measured non-answer reflects a manager understandably reluctant to inflame a controversy that his side currently benefit from.
