Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi claimed the officiating team were “not calm” following his sideโs frustrating 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
Spurs missed a major opportunity to move four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone on Monday night. Mathys Tel opened the scoring with a brilliant strike but later conceded a penalty to restore parity for Leeds. Consequently, the North London club remains in a precarious position with only two matches left this season.
De Zerbi was loath to discuss a late penalty appeal involving James Maddison and Lukas Nmecha after the whistle. “No, no, no, I donโt want to come inside the polemic,” the Italian told reporters.
He suggested the officiating crew were influenced by the fallout from Arsenalโs victory at West Ham the previous day. “The first minute until the end of the game the referee went to me, โif you go out, yellow cardโ.”
De Zerbi Slams “Not Calm” Referees After Tense Leeds Draw
He argued the referees lacked composure during the high-stakes match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. “Maybe they suffered the pressure of yesterdayโs West Ham-Arsenal game and VAR,” the Italian manager remarked.
De Zerbi also admitted his own squad struggled with the speed of the ball and lacked patience during play. “We were rushed but also the referee was not calm,” he told his post-game press conference.
Surprisingly, the Spurs boss defended the decision to disallow West Ham’s equaliser against Arsenal on Sunday. “I canโt understand the polemic about yesterdayโs VAR because it was a foul, 200%,” he insisted.
He maintained that David Raya was clearly fouled in the build-up to Callum Wilsonโs strike. Tottenham must now prepare for their final fixtures as the battle against the drop reaches its conclusion.
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