VAR making football referees lazy, warns ex-FIFA official Subkhiddin | Timesport On The Beat

In this episode of Timesport: On the Beat, former FIFA World Cup referee Subkhiddin Salleh warns that modern officiating technology, including the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), is making on-pitch officials lazy. Subkhiddin says the technology reduces the alertness of referees during matches, as they rely too much on VAR to correct their mistakes instead of making the right call immediately. The veteran official also opens up about the dark personal toll of his career, revealing how cyberbullies targeted his daughter online. He recounts a humiliating domestic match where he was completely deceived by a player's "flying" simulation, which resulted in a wrongly awarded penalty. Subkhiddin closes with a direct warning to Malaysian football administrators, urging them to respect the sport. He cautions that those who cheat today will not be safe tomorrow.