Renewed discussion about video evidence
VAR vortex in the DFB Cup: That’s what Bayern boss Eberl says
October 29, 2025 – 11:57 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Several controversial decisions in the second round of the DFB Cup sparked a discussion about the use of VAR. The sports director of the German record champions has a clear opinion on this.
The issue of video evidence in the DFB Cup continues to concern German football. After several controversial scenes in the second round games on Tuesday, the missing VAR was also an issue on Wednesday evening: FC Bayern’s 1-1 draw at 1. FC Köln would not have stood up to scrutiny – goalscorer Luis Diáz was offside.
After the German record champions’ final 4-1 win, Bayern sports director Max Eberl commented on the discussion – and took a clear position: The 52-year-old supports the use of VAR even before the cup round of 16. “If you ask me honestly, I’m a fan of the video assistant,” explained Eberl in the mixed zone. And continued: “I do believe that video evidence would be helpful from the second round onwards.”
There is already “so much at stake, and in the second round there are usually teams that then offer the opportunities (for video evidence, editor’s note).” Eberl posed the question: “If there are clubs that couldn’t do that – yes, what do we do with them if they were in the round of 16?”
Even more: Eberl emphasized emphatically: “I’m honestly a fan of doing it from the 2nd round.” The games on Tuesday in the DFB Cup offered several scenes worth discussing. In the game between Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund, Dortmund’s goal to make it 1-1 should not have counted, striker Maxi Beier was just offside.
In Berlin, Hertha were lucky that a clear handball by Diego Demme in their own penalty area against SV Elversberg was overlooked. And in the game between St. Pauli and Hoffenheim there was also trouble over a penalty decision. Now also the scene on Wednesday in Bayern’s game at “Effzeh”. There is still no VAR in the second round of the DFB Cup. The review via video is only planned from the round of 16 onwards. The German Football Association (DFB) justifies this step on its website with “capacity reasons”.
Eberl fears that referees could be overwhelmed in the future without VAR: “I think that if you are not prepared for it all year long (on the support of the video referee, editor’s note), then it is more difficult in such heated games. And in the cup there are always heated games, where it is about progress or elimination, there is a lot at stake.” The Bayern boss emphasized again: “I say: If you’re used to it and it works, then you should use it.”