Clubs in Brazil vote against use of VAR because sheer size of country would mean cost of £11,000 per match

BRAZILIAN clubs have voted against the use of VAR as the sheer size of the country makes it far too expensive.

The South American country has surface area of 3,288,000 square miles and that leads to poor fibre optics, as it is impossible for each stadium to be connected due to the huge distances between them.

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Getty Images

It means the use video assistant referees would cost £4.44million, and each club would need to contribute around £220,000 each. That would work out at a staggering £11,000 per match.

And, for the majority of clubs in Brazil, that is far too much.

Only seven teams — Flamengo, Botafogo, Bahia, Chapecoense, Palmeiras, Internacional and Gremio — voted in favour.

But, they were overwhelmingly outnumbered, and the use of VAR has been suspended.

EPA

REBECCA NADEN

The costs appear even more incredible, when compared with smaller nations.

In Portugal, for example — which has a surface area of just 35,603 square miles — it works out at £1,066 per match, which is significantly lower.

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This is because each stadium is easier to connect due to the shorter distances.

VAR has been used in various cup competitions in England, but is not yet a fixture in Premier League matches.