A VAR official has landed in hot water after appearing to scroll through a betting site on live TV.
A Bulgarian official is alleged to have been spotted using the site moments before kick-off between CSKA Sofia and Lokomotiv Sofia.
He was suspended after footage of the incident began to circulate on .
Hawk-Eye Innovations, which is responsible for the VAR system in the Bulgarian First League, explained the decision in a letter to the Bulgarian Football Union.
It said: “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 utilising a personal smartphone during the match and appearing to engage in inappropriate activities which would constitute gross misconduct in relation to the responsibilities of their assigned role.”;
The company said it would investigate the official during his suspension, as reported by NeedToKnow.
It added: “If the individual has been found to have been engaging in such inappropriate activity, we will look to dismiss the individual in accordance with their contractual terms.”;
Fans were shocked by the revelation with one saying: “Lol that's wild.”
Another added: “Everything you need to know about VAR…”
A third wrote: “Nah this is some nasty business.”
And another commented: “We are in a very bad situation...”
