Norwich City head coach Philippe Clement has used his pre-match press conference to deliver an unusually pointed critique of the Championship's refusal to adopt video review technology, calling the situation "crazy" in front of reporters ahead of Saturday's visit to Millwall.

The remarks follow a bruising home defeat to West Bromwich Albion in which Baggies striker Aune Heggebo scored what proved to be the decisive goal with his hand. The 2-1 loss left Clement searching for language strong enough to convey his frustration — and he found it.

The incident that sparked the debate

Heggebo's goal has since been widely circulated online. Clement noted that the clip "really went viral all over the world" and that colleagues from across Europe had been in touch to ask how such a moment could stand in a professional league in 2026.

The Football Association moved to address the matter after the fact, handing Heggebo a two-match ban for deceiving match officials. The charge, relating to a deliberate handball, is believed to be the first of its kind in English football following a rule change introduced prior to the 2024-25 season. For Clement, though, the retrospective action underlines precisely the problem: the goal stood, the result stood, and Norwich were left with nothing.

Clement's case for VAR

Speaking to BBC Norfolk, the Norwich head coach set out his argument methodically, listing roughly 70 countries where video review technology is used in professional football, and citing 81 separate leagues in total.

"I think there is no other way. It's clear, 81 different leagues are doing that," he said. "I get a lot of messages out of Europe also from friends and people I know from the world of football who are surprised. They say, 'How is it possible there's no VAR in the Championship with all the budgets and ambitions there?'"

He also raised the stakes in terms that clubs with promotion ambitions will understand immediately. "If at the end of the road you miss [out] by one point or three points because of these kinds of decisions, people will step out and say they will put their money into another league." That is press-release language for investor flight, but the underlying point is a serious one for any club running a wage bill on the basis of reaching the top flight.

Clubs already voted it down

What makes Clement's intervention particularly pointed is the context: Championship clubs had already been offered the chance to adopt Football Video Support (FVS), a variation of VAR, for the 2026-27 campaign, and voted it down earlier this year. The reasons given at the time centred on cost and implementation, the same concerns that led France's Ligue 2 to abandon plans for VAR on financial grounds.

That vote puts Clement in an awkward position. His frustration is directed at the collective decision-making of the clubs in this division, which presumably includes Norwich's own representatives. He did not address that directly.

VAR is used by the second divisions in Spain, Italy and Germany, leagues that are broadly comparable to the Championship in terms of commercial scale. Whether that comparison holds when costs are broken down across 24 clubs rather than 20, and distributed without Premier League solidarity payments for those outside parachute arrangements, is a question the clubs who voted against FVS will argue is the relevant one.

What it means for Norwich

Norwich are now nursing a defeat that cost them two points and, on Clement's own analysis, could yet cost them far more if the season runs close. The Canaries had been building early momentum and the West Brom result was a setback they could have done without.

Whether Clement's public campaign on VAR changes anything at the divisional level before this season is complete seems unlikely. But the handball ban on Heggebo has at least given the argument fresh evidence, and Clement appears determined to keep making it.

Frequently asked

Why is there no VAR in the Championship?
Championship clubs voted against introducing Football Video Support (FVS), a VAR alternative, for the 2026-27 season. The main objections were cost and the practicalities of rolling it out across 24 clubs without the financial backing that Premier League clubs enjoy.
What happened with West Brom's handball goal against Norwich?
West Brom striker Aune Heggebo scored with his hand in a 2-1 win at Carrow Road. The goal was allowed to stand by the referee on the day. The FA subsequently banned Heggebo for two matches for deceiving match officials, in what is believed to be the first charge of its kind in English football.
What has Philippe Clement said about VAR in the Championship?
Speaking ahead of Norwich's trip to Millwall, Clement called the absence of VAR 'crazy', noting that 81 leagues worldwide use the technology. He warned that costly refereeing errors at the end of a tight season could deter investment in Championship clubs.