Arsene Wenger wants to re-write offside law in a bid to end VAR controversy

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger during the Laureus awards [COURTESY]

Arsene Wenger is the driving force behind a move to re-write the offside law in a bid to bring an end to the controversial borderline VAR decisions that have brought football into disrepute.

The former Arsenal boss believes attacking players should be deemed onside if ANY part of their body is in line with the last opponent.

Wenger feels the introduction of VAR has exposed the law in its current guise as being loaded in favour of defenders.

Goals are being disallowed for marginal calls, with a player ruled offside if any part of the body which can be used to score strays beyond the last defender

Wenger took up a position as FIFA's chief of global football in November.

Part of his role includes working on the International Football Association Board, the body that governs the laws of the game.

And he confirmed: “I am in the middle of the controversial situation with VAR and it is clear that the most difficult thing that people have with it is the offside rule.

“You have had offsides by a margin of a fraction of a centimetre, offside literally by a nose.

“I believe it is the time to do this very quickly.

“There is room to change the rule a little bit and not say that a part of a player’s nose is offside, so you are offside because you can score with that.

“Instead, you will not be offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender - even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front.

“That will sort it out because you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line.”

FIFA are looking at other changes to pacify fans who have been angered by the controversy caused by VAR.

They are set to demand that stadiums in all major leagues are required to install big screens to help keep supporters informed about decisions under review.

Manchester United's Old Trafford and Liverpool's Anfield are the only two grounds in the Premier League without a big screen.

Wenger also believes that VAR will be improved by employing former players to make decisions from behind a screen.

Speaking at the Laureus Sports Awards in Berlin, he said: "At the moment, in what is the first period when we have used this technology, there are not enough VAR specialists who can cover every game over the weekend.

“It will be improved very quickly if we change the protocols, so that we can use former players in the VAR room.”