“VAR recordings must be made public”: Aydın Bayram calls for transparency after Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby
Sports commentator Aydın Bayram delivered a sharp critique of the refereeing in the Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby, arguing that the controversy can only be resolved if the conversations between the referee and the VAR room are released in full. According to Bayram, Beşiktaş may soon take an official step to demand precisely that.
Bayram underlined that the black-and-white club could formally request the publication of the audio between match referee Yasin Kol and the VAR officials, insisting that this is the only way to bring clarity to the heated debate around the key decisions in the game.
He suggested that a concrete move from Beşiktaş might be imminent:
“Beşiktaş may decide today or tomorrow to take a stand and say: ‘Release the conversations between Yasin Kol and the VAR referee.’ This is no longer a minor issue; it has become a national discussion,” Bayram stated.
Addressing a widespread assumption among fans, he added that many people believe VAR audio cannot be explained or released because the referee did not go to the pitchside monitor. Bayram firmly rejected this as a valid excuse.
“Some people watching us will say: ‘Since the referee didn’t go to the monitor, the VAR recordings will not be made public.’ But I don’t agree with that. If you want to put an end to the confusion in society, if you want to restore trust, then those VAR conversations must be disclosed. The whole country is talking about this penalty. To end speculation, you have to show what was said in that room.”
The focal point of the outrage is the penalty decision that allowed Fenerbahçe to secure all three points. Bayram was uncompromising in his description of that moment, arguing that the call defied football logic and sporting fairness.
He went so far as to label the decision a “manufactured” penalty, suggesting that it did not meet the standards expected at the top level of the game.
“Fenerbahçe walked away with three points thanks to a ‘created’ penalty,” he said. “In all my years watching football, I have never seen such a penalty decision. This is not a normal mistake; this is the kind of call that destroys confidence in the competition.”
For Bayram, the problem goes far beyond a single match or one controversial decision. He sees the incident as part of a deeper, long-running crisis in refereeing and football governance.
According to him, there is a perception that the system surrounding referees, VAR usage and decision-making is contaminated by long-standing interests and opaque practices.
“There is so much dirt in this business that cleaning it up could take many years,” he argued. “And the real tragedy is that hardly anyone truly wants to clean it up. People talk about reforms and transparency, but when it comes to taking real steps, everything stalls.”
Bayram stressed that VAR was introduced to eliminate clear and obvious errors, not to become another source of suspicion. When used properly, he said, VAR should be an ally of fairness, not a weapon that deepens mistrust between clubs, referees and supporters.
He emphasized that opening up VAR audio would be a crucial step in reversing that trend, at least in this particular case:
“If you have nothing to hide, then why not publish the conversations? Let everyone hear what the referee saw, what the VAR team told him, which angles they checked, which rules they applied. If the decision is defensible, the audio will prove it. If not, then we will know where the problem lies. Either way, football wins through transparency.”
From Bayram’s perspective, Beşiktaş’s potential move to demand these recordings is not only a reaction to perceived injustice but also an opportunity to set a precedent for Turkish football. He believes that if one major club successfully pushes for VAR transparency, it could open the door for similar demands in future games and force institutions to adopt clearer protocols.
He also pointed out that fans across the country now expect more than brief written statements from refereeing bodies. Supporters, he said, want to understand how decisions are made in real time, especially when those decisions change the outcome of crucial matches like a derby.
“The public is no longer satisfied with the classic explanations like ‘the referee’s interpretation’ or ‘it was a borderline decision,'” Bayram noted. “People want to hear the actual reasoning. They want to know why a moment that looks like nothing to them suddenly becomes a penalty, or why an obvious foul is ignored. VAR is recorded-so use those recordings to explain.”
Bayram argued that selective silence only fuels conspiracy theories and deepens polarization between clubs. Releasing VAR audio in controversial incidents, on the other hand, would help calm tempers by replacing rumors with facts.
He also warned that if such high-profile controversies continue without clear accountability, the long-term damage to the league could be severe:
“When fans start to believe that results are not decided on the pitch but somewhere else, week after week, you lose something that is very hard to get back: credibility. Once spectators feel the competition is not fair, they either turn away or become totally radicalized. Neither scenario is good for football.”
In his view, the Fenerbahçe-Beşiktaş derby should become a turning point, not just another entry on a long list of contentious matches. He urged decision-makers to recognize that this is a critical moment to rebuild confidence and to show that the sport can police itself.
Bayram concluded by reiterating that the first and most urgent step is obvious:
“Right now, the simplest and clearest thing to do is to publish the VAR recordings from this derby. Let’s hear exactly what was said between Yasin Kol and the VAR officials. Let people judge based on reality, not on guesswork. Only then can we begin to talk seriously about cleaning up the rest of the system.”
The emotional reactions that followed the match, including harsh comments about the “filth” surrounding the game and the belief that “no one truly wants to clean it,” reflect a deep-rooted frustration. For many, Bayram’s call is not just about one derby-it is about demanding a new standard of openness in Turkish football, where decisions that shape championships are no longer hidden behind closed doors and muted microphones.