Referees Cost Us Two Finals. Pep Guardiola Warns: We're Entering a Dangerous Position

The Spanish coach expressed frustration over previous officiating decisions, which he believes negatively impacted his team, particularly in their FA Cup final losses in 2024 and 2025.

VAR also came under scrutiny after the latest Premier League round, where relegation-threatened West Ham had a potential equalizer disallowed following a lengthy review against league leaders Arsenal. This result solidified the Gunners' five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

However, Guardiola emphasized that players have the power to influence matches to the point where VAR intervention becomes unnecessary. "We lost two FA Cup finals because the referees and VAR didn't do what they were supposed to. When that happens, we need to do more ourselves, not the referees or VAR," he stated.

The coach, who also managed FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, added: "I've never taken anything for granted. I've learned that you have to do things better because VAR is like a coin toss."

According to Guardiola, Manchester City should have been awarded penalties in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester United after a foul on Erling Haaland. Last year, in a match against Crystal Palace, the referee failed to act on a potential red card for the opposing goalkeeper, which could have influenced the outcome.

Despite these incidents, Guardiola highlighted the importance of focusing on current matches, specifically the upcoming Premier League clash with Crystal Palace, which could reduce their deficit to Arsenal. "We need to focus on ourselves, to improve. Losing concentration puts us in a dangerous position," the Spaniard concluded.