Fish cake fury sees Norwegian game cancelled after VAR protest

The match in the Norwegian top flight between Rosenborg BK and Lillestrom was suspended on Sunday after fans showed their displeasure with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) by throwing fish cakes onto the field.

The protests started from kickoff. After a two-minute bombardment of fish cakes, the referee stopped the match and sent the players to the dressing room.

The match was restarted, but the protests intensified, with tennis balls and smoke bombs being thrown onto the field. The referee abandoned the match around the half-hour mark with the score 0-0.

VAR has stirred controversy in the Norwegian Eliteserien, with several clubs’ supporter unions claiming that the time referees spend making decisions using the system ruins matches.

It has faced criticism in other leagues also, with Sweden’s top leagues deciding in April not to implement VAR due to opposition from clubs.