In Bulgaria, a VAR employee was caught using the bookmaker's app during the match

During the broadcast of the 27th round of the Bulgarian championship between CSKA and Lokomotiv, the cameras unexpectedly captured a very strange and disturbing scene. In the VAR room, where referees analyse controversial moments using video replays, one of the employees was seen using a phone with the Bulgarian bookmaker's application open.

When the man realised that he was in the lens of the camera, he instantly hid the device, but it was too late - the footage hit the air and caused a violent reaction on the network. The video quickly spread, causing a wave of indignation and questions about the integrity of the refereeing.

The incident received an official response: the head of the refereeing commission of the Bulgarian Football Union confirmed that an investigation had been launched. According to him, the person seen in the episode is not an employee of the BFS - he works for the Hawk-Eye company, which is responsible for the technical support of the VAR system.

So… during a live broadcast of the Bulgarian league match between CSKA and Lokomotiv, cameras randomly caught a VAR room staffer scrolling through… a bookmaker app. Yup. In the very room that's supposed to ensure fair play, someone was casually checking odds (or worse?)… pic.twitter.com/A74VEscikB

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Hawk-Eye itself has not yet given official comments, but the incident has already become the subject of heated discussion. Social media users have speculated about possible manipulation and questioned the transparency of VAR in Bulgarian football.

Recall that VAR is a video assistant referee system, which was introduced to improve fairness in refereeing. With its help, judges can review controversial points and make more accurate decisions. However, such cases only add fuel to the fire by undermining the credibility of the system, which is supposed to ensure integrity on the field.