Freiburg visits Union
Bundesliga boss rages about VAR: “Where are we actually going?”
November 2, 2025 – 8:45 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
SC Freiburg was a guest at Union Berlin on Sunday. Afterwards, Union’s managing director of professional football became very upset about the video assistant.
While Union’s Rani Khedira studied the scene on her cell phone in the cabin wing of the Alte Försterei, Horst Heldt could hardly keep his composure. The managing director of professional football at Union Berlin found clear words after the 0-0 draw against SC Freiburg – especially in the direction of VAR.
“What I’ve never seen before is that the VAR gets involved when it’s offside. Where are we actually going? I don’t understand it anymore,” said Heldt on Sky. Either it’s offside or it’s not, said Heldt – whether passive or active, it doesn’t matter to him. In particular, the fact that the referee was sent to the screen in response to the VAR’s advice caused a lack of understanding: “Why do you have to send him out there? It’s really not funny anymore.”
The background was a scene in the 63rd minute: After a duel between Khedira and Freiburg’s Lucas Höler, Andrej Ilić scored for Union – initially the supposed 1-0. But after more than four minutes of video review, referee Sören Storks decided to watch the action himself. The result: No goal because Khedira was said to have been offside.
Freiburg’s goalkeeper Noah Atubolu felt hindered in the situation – an argument for the assessment as active offside. “I didn’t see anything. The ball goes past his leg and I don’t see anything,” Atubolu said after the game.
Khedira saw it differently. In the ARD sports show he emphasized: “I am in no way hindering the goalkeeper.” He himself was in a tussle with an opponent and Atubolu had a clear view. “It’s hard to explain,” said the Union professional.
There was already a controversial VAR decision in the first half. Freiburg’s Matthias Ginter scored in the 17th minute – but the goal was disallowed because he had previously headed the ball onto his own hand. Ginter himself was insightful. Although he didn’t feel the contact with his hand, according to the pictures he “couldn’t deny it.”