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Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney expressed his displeasure with the video assistant referee following Saturday's FA Cup loss to Chelsea by echoing the explicit chant from his club's supporters: "F--- VAR."
The ambitious Welsh side gave Chelsea a run for their money in an exciting FA Cup fifth round match in Wrexham. The home team led twice against the Blues before VAR intervention resulted in George Dobson's dangerous tackle being upgraded from yellow to red. Down to 10 players, they fell behind in extra time, but VAR was again needed to catch a tight offside call that prevented Wrexham from scoring a dramatic leveler.
João Pedro sealed Chelsea's advancement to the quarterfinals with a 4–2 scoreline, leaving McElhenney and co-owner Ryan Reynolds visibly disappointed.
"We're facing one of the world's finest teams and for our players to go out there and compete at that level was amazing and, you know, VAR ... remains questionable," the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star told ESPN, taking a deliberate pause while shrugging and looking directly into the camera.
At that moment, interviewer Alex Aljoe interjected to seek McElhenney's thoughts on the technology—which Wrexham doesn't face in Championship matches. "Can you censor something here?" he asked with a knowing tone. "I believe the chant went, 'F--- VAR!'"
"That's exactly what they chanted," Reynolds confirmed. "They'll probably call VAR on what you just said too."
A fantastic battle and plenty of positives to take into Tuesday ✊
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/rsqFa0h4Zh
"Ultimately, regulations are regulations," McElhenney acknowledged, "and I believe we delivered an outstanding performance, which was evident both on the field and throughout the stadium."
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson shared similar doubts. "I understand the rule states it must be a clear and obvious error, and I believe the referee should trust his initial judgment [regarding the foul]," he complained. "Naturally, when summoned to review the monitor, he should have maintained the yellow card decision.
"The offside was tight, and we can't argue if that's the correct call, but I strongly disagree with VAR directing the referee to the screen only for him to reverse his decision. He had an excellent view of the incident."
Reynolds Outlines Wrexham's Premier League Dreams
Reynolds Outlines Wrexham's Premier League Dreams
Reynolds successfully restrained himself while restating the club's continued goal of earning Premier League promotion, a position that was only strengthened by the team's determined FA Cup display.
The Championship contenders were competing in non-league football fewer than three years ago before backing from Reynolds and McElhenney sparked the club's remarkable ascent. Prior to the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Chelsea in North Wales, Wrexham occupied a promotion playoff position in England's second division.
The Premier League aspirants convincingly demonstrated their ability to compete with the tier's best teams.
"This feels like a victory to me," Reynolds mused with an excited sparkle in his eyes at the final whistle. "We're welcoming Chelsea to the Racecourse ground in Wrexham. Looking back five years, people wouldn't even mention the name 'Wrexham.' Fast forward to today and they can't stop saying 'Wrexham' without smiling—I held back there—so it represents a dramatic transformation in everything about this community."
Nevertheless, the ambitious goals of the Hollywood proprietors remain unchanged.
In 2021, before either Reynolds or McElhenney had witnessed their first home game as co-owners, Reynolds told Sky Sports: "We'd be dishonest if the aspiration wasn't the Premier League. We aim to return to the Football League and continue climbing upward." Five years on, Wrexham are potentially 14 matches away from realizing that ambition.
"It has been the target from the beginning [to reach the Premier League], it truly has, nothing has altered regarding that," Reynolds confirmed on Saturday evening.
"It is incredibly touching to witness how unifying it is here, how these fans feel about this football club and how contagious it becomes, and to see people worldwide embrace Wrexham as sometimes their secondary team, sometimes their primary team, it is truly wonderful."
Chelsea Offer Wrexham the Highest Praise
Chelsea Offer Wrexham the Highest Praise
All the positive sentiment surrounding Wrexham's display didn't come solely from Reynolds and McElhenney. Chelsea scorer Alejandro Garnacho called the hard-fought win "one of our most challenging matches of the season to date."
His coach Liam Rosenior concurred. "That exemplifies exactly why the FA Cup is special," the manager stated. "I thought Wrexham were outstanding. We were tested throughout by a very capable side. We required some fortune because Wrexham were exceptional in their showing."
McElhenney disclosed that Chelsea's coaching staff and players had offered their congratulations after the game. "Perhaps it's the sleep deprivation but I am filled with appreciation. This all seems surreal. Thank you to the people of Wrexhman [sic] and to Wrexham AFC for allowing me to be part of this," he posted on X.
"And thank you to Chelsea FC for an amazing match. I met several of the players after the game and at the airport and they were nothing but gracious and encouraging. It doesn't need to involve hostility and bitterness. It can be wonderful. Hopefully we'll meet again soon."