Unai Emery blasts VAR after Nottingham Forest incident in Europa League semi-final first‑l

Emery publicly criticises VAR after incident involving Elliot Anderson

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery criticised the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after a decision not to send off Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson during the Europa League semi-final first leg. Speaking after the match, Emery described the VAR ruling as a "huge mistake," saying the officials should have taken stronger action. The remark came in the immediate aftermath of the tie's first leg, where the decision proved a talking point.

What Emery said and why it matters

According to the BBC Sport report, Emery reacted angrily to the VAR decision, using the words "Where are you? Wow. It is so, so bad" to underline his frustration. The manager felt the VAR team made a "huge mistake" by not upgrading or supporting an on-field decision to send Anderson off. Emery's comments highlight continuing tensions around VAR use in major European competitions and will feed into broader debate about consistency in its application.

Implications for the tie and VAR debate

A VAR non-send-off in a major knockout game can have direct consequences for a tie's balance: a red card changes substitution plans, tactics and momentum. Emery's public criticism draws attention to those competitive effects and adds pressure on competition organisers and refereeing bodies to explain decisions clearly. The supplied source does not include the match score or further match details, so readers should consult full match reports or official statements for the complete sequence of events and any disciplinary follow-up.

• Unai Emery criticised VAR after a decision not to send off Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson in the Europa League semi-final first leg (BBC Sport).
• Emery described the VAR handling as a "huge mistake" and used the words "Where are you? Wow. It is so, so bad" in his reaction (BBC Sport).
• The incident occurred in the first leg of a Europa League semi-final, making the decision significant for the tie (BBC Sport).

What happens next

The BBC Sport summary does not state whether UEFA, the match referee or Nottingham Forest have responded. For a full picture, official match reports, disciplinary updates from UEFA and post-match comments from Nottingham Forest should be checked. Given Emery's public comments, this episode is likely to prompt further scrutiny of VAR protocols in the Europa League.