November 07, (THEWILL) – Tottenham Hotspur manager, Ange Postecoglou, has called for an end to the constant questioning of referees’ decisions, warning that it risks undermining their authority. His comments come after Spurs’ controversial 4-1 home defeat to Chelsea on Tuesday night.
The match saw two Tottenham players dismissed and a Chelsea hat-trick deep into stoppage time. Spurs had taken an early lead, but saw the game turn on two red cards and a Chelsea penalty. There was also lengthy first half stoppage time, with multiple VAR checks.
Postecoglou refused to criticise the referee, but said the overuse of technology led to a ‘forensic study’ of every decision. He warned this erosion of officials’ authority would leave them reliant on VAR operators.
The Australian urged the game to accept referees’ calls, even if controversial. “At some point we have to accept the referee’s decision,” he remarked postmatch. “If we keep complaining it’ll lead to what happened today.”
It follows complaints by other English Premier League managers about officiating standards this season. But Postecoglou argued constant questioning of decisions would only diminish referees’ control and authority.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
