A video purported to show an official using a betting app while he was in the video assistant referee room, which resulted in the official being suspended.
Olaus Skarsem scored the game-winning goal for CSKA Sofia on Wednesday, which allowed them to clinch a 1-0 victory over Lokomotiv Sofia in the Bulgarian top flight. The match took place at the Vasil Levski National Stadium.
However, the match was the source of significant controversy after an incident involving one of the video assistant referees (VAR) operators. The television cameras that were used to cover the game attempted to take a picture of the official using his phone for a brief moment before he put it down.
He looked to be looking at a football betting app on his mobile device, which stunned viewers who were watching the live broadcast as well as those who watched the viral film on social media platforms. The official, who was sitting next to two other colleagues in the room, appeared to be looking at the app.
Hawk-Eye Innovations, the company that controls the video assistant referee (VAR) system in the highest level of Bulgarian football, responded swiftly to suspend the employee “from all activity” while they carried out an investigation into the behaviour.
The company wrote a letter to the Bulgarian Football Union to inform them of the situation, stating: “Hawk-Eye Innovations acknowledges with regret an incident involving one of its VAR operators during the Parva Liga match between PFC CSKA-Sofia and PFC Lokomotiv Sofia yesterday evening (2nd April 2025).”
“Live footage from the camera situation in the VAR operations room documented the individual using a personal smartphone during the match and appearing to engage in inappropriate activities that would constitute gross misconduct in relation to the responsibilities of themselves in relation to the role that they were assigned.”
According to what they have stated, they will look into “dismissing the individual in accordance with their contractual terms” in the event that an inquiry reveals that the employee “has been found to have been engaging in such inappropriate activity.”
Having been a partner of the Bulgarian Football Union for a number of years, Hawk-Eye Innovations, which is located in Basingstoke and is a member of Sony Sports Innovations Group, is hoping that this one-off occurrence will not have an impact on their working relationship.
Employees are prohibited from wagering when they are in a trusted position and participating in officiating, according to the confirmation they provided.
“Hawk-Eye fully recognises the necessity for its personnel to act at all times with the highest levels of professionalism and integrity in its trusted position working with the Bulgarian Football Union and other customers, and the company has strong policies in place that explicitly forbid its employees and contractors from engaging in any betting activity in any sports or competitions where it provides officiating services,” according to Inside World Football, a publication from Bulgaria.
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