Bruno Guimaraes sent a cheeky tweet after Newcastle were denied a penalty during their Premier League trip to Manchester United on Wednesday night.
Anthony Gordon’s sock was left torn after Sofyan Amrabat’s first-half challenge in the penalty area, but there was no VAR check at Old Trafford.
One Newcastle fan tweeted pictures of the incident, with the caption: ‘”Aye, didn’t touch him ref”‘.
Bruno Guimaraes shared that post with emojis of a face peeking out from behind hands, and a zipper-face.
Gordon was furious with those in Stockley Park following his side’s 3-2 defeat, telling Sky Sports: ‘It’s a clear, clear and obvious mistake, I don’t know how you can get it wrong.
Anthony Gordon felt he should have been awarded a penalty for a foul by Sofyan Amrabat
Amrabat’s tackle down Gordon’s Achilles ripped a hole in the Newcastle player’s sock
‘So either get rid of it or get better. It’s very simple.
‘I don’t mind the referee getting it wrong on the pitch because things happen really quickly.
‘But I don’t understand what the point of VAR is, because it’s there to correct mistakes. He goes down my Achilles and pushes me in the back. I just honestly don’t see the point in it.’
Newcastle fans on X (formerly Twitter) also added to calls for VAR to be scrapped, with Premier League clubs set to hold a vote on the matter following a proposal by Wolves.
One Magpies fan responded ‘There is no point of VAR’, and another said: ‘VAR is useless lets vote for it to be removed next season’.
Others were pleased that the Brazilian midfielder had chosen to speak up on the situation, despite the risks involved.
‘Into them Bruno, take a fine on the chin’, one fan wrote, while another added: ‘We all think it, speak the truth’.
There was also a claim that stronger protests from Newcastle players could have forced the VAR team to properly review the situation, which may have resulted in a different outcome.
‘The players should always object to force referee go to VAR’ wrote one X user.
Premier League clubs will vote on a proposal to scrap VAR next season at their AGM on June 6
Wednesday’s defeat, coupled with Chelsea’s win at Brighton, leaves Newcastle in seventh place in the Premier League table, ahead of their final game of the season at Brentford.
Amrabat, who is on loan from Fiorentina, admits run of starts at Manchester United has come ‘a bit late in the season’, and it means he is unlikely to remain at Old Trafford next term.
VAR was introduced to the Premier League in 2019, but it is unlikely that the system will be ditched from next season, as 14 of the 20 clubs would need to favour the proposal at their AGM next month, and the league has said it would oppose the motion.
