Salah & Szoboszlai run rings around City in champion display

Culture Axis: New Preds, Messi answers 'Stoke' question & more

The Curious Case of Marcelo

Magical Modric inspires Madrid on Mbappe off-day

KDB looks done! Captain leads City flops in Liverpool loss

Editors' Picks

INEOS to distance Man Utd from past as Ferguson blamed for struggles

Rashford's impact at Villa hailed by Asensio & Tielemans

Young quotes Mourinho as he reacts to overturned penalty decision

Man City, Barca & football's most dramatic falls from grace

'You are crazy!' - Amorim can't believe he's only won four games

Article continues belowArticle continues belowArticle continues below<ul><li>Fans unleashed bitter protest against VAR</li><li>Four stoppages inside the first half-hour</li><li>Rosenborg and Lillestrom's match was abandoned</li></ul>

VIDEO: Fish cakes and smoke bombs thrown onto pitch as Rosenborg game abandoned as angry fans protest against VAR

The first half-hour of the match saw no fewer than four distinct protests against VAR, with both sets of fans expressing their frustrations. The protests involved throwing tennis balls, flares, and even fishcakes onto the pitch, significantly disrupting the flow of the game.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Kampen mellom Rosenborg og Lillestrøm er avlyst. <a href="https://t.co/6Tmy3Nhwmb">pic.twitter.com/6Tmy3Nhwmb</a>— Fotball Norge (@FotballNO) <a href="https://twitter.com/FotballNO/status/1815083670438297776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

WHAT HAPPENED?

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Rosenborg vs. Lillestrøm in Norway's Eliteserien, play has now been stopped a total of four times inside the first 30 minutes due to protests from both sets of fans because they don't like VAR 😂 Items thrown onto the pitch include tennis balls, smoke bombs and... fishcakes. <a href="https://t.co/NyMhvuepkg">pic.twitter.com/NyMhvuepkg</a>— Andy Lewers (@AndyLewers) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndyLewers/status/1815082524709662997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

WATCH THE CLIP

Rosenborg's ultras hurled tennis balls onto the pitch which forced the players to exit the field, adhering to the new rules that mandate a temporary stoppage in such situations. The ultras also displayed a banner reading, "We will never give up, VAR will go away," signalling their unyielding stance against the technology. Not long after the initial interruption, Lillestrom fans mirrored the actions of their Rosenborg counterparts. This repeated disruption caused the stadium announcer to warn that any further stoppages would lead to the match being abandoned.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Despite the announcer's warnings, the protests continued unabated. This final act of defiance compelled the officials to abandon the match altogether. Throughout these events, chants of "Hate, hate, f***ing hate VAR" echoed around the stadium, uniting fans from both sides in their disdain for the technology. While the technology aims to bring fairness and accuracy to the game, it has also been a source of frustration for many fans and players alike. And the incident on Sunday underscores the growing discontent among supporters who feel that VAR disrupts the natural flow and excitement of football.

WHAT NEXT?

VIDEO: Fish cakes and smoke bombs thrown onto pitch as Rosenborg game abandoned as angry fans protest against VAR | Goal.com

Fans protest against VAR by throwing fish cakes and smoke bombs onto the pitch which forced the match officials to abandon the Rosenborg game.