(Credit: Getty Images, Sky Sports+)

Jonathan Burnett

Wed 13 August 2025 22:39, UK

Bolton Wanderers captain Chris Forino-Joseph avoiding a red card against Sheffield Wednesday wouldn’t have happened with VAR, Keith Hackett has said.

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The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that Oliver Langford would have changed his mind on the decision to book Forino-Joseph if shown a replay of the defender’s foul.

Sheffield Wednesday lost their Championship opener in dramatic fashion with a late 2-1 loss to Leicester City, but bounced back to beat the 10 players of Bolton 4-2 on penalties after a 3-3 draw in normal time.

Barry Bannan’s controversial red card against Leicester stung Henrik Pedersen’s side in their defeat on Sunday, but Bolton were lucky not to see two of their own at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.

John Textor has been mooted as a possible takeover option at Hillsborough if or when Dejphon Chansiri finally sells up, but Wednesday’s travelling fans were given plenty to cheer by their young side in their Carabao Cup first-round tie.

Pedersen’s side advanced to the second round of the Carabao Cup (Credit: Sheffield Wednesday FC)

This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.

Bolton had already seen one defender in Sam Inwood sent off for a late pull on Charlie McNeil in the 27th minute of Wednesday’s match, with the visitors already 1-0 up after Guilherme Siqueira’s strike.

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Forino-Joseph nearly joined his centre-back partner on the sidelines in the shadows of half-time with Wednesday then 2-1 up, as he flew in with a reckless lunge on young midfielder Bruno Fernandes.

The 25-year-old got none of the ball and almost all of the man with next to no control in his challenge on halfway, but Langford only showed Forino-Joseph a yellow card as Fernandes was forced off injured.

Facing 10 men rather than nine, the youthful Wednesday side were twice pegged back in the second half as Bolton scored late to seal a 3-3 draw, but Pierce Charles again proved to be the hero with two saves in their penalty shoot-out victory.

Steven Schumacher was lucky to not see his side go down to nine men

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former FIFA official was in no doubt that had VAR and the option of a replay been available to Langford, Forino-Joseph would have seen red for his challenge.

“The Bolton defender made no attempt to play the ball and came into the challenge with excessive force that clearly endangered the safety of his opponent”, Hackett told Football Insider.

“It fulfilled the law for Serious Foul Play – if VAR was in operation then referee Oliver Langford would certainly have been sent to the monitor, and adjusted the colour from yellow to red.”

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