Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi claimed the officiating team were “not calm” following his side’s 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 don’t want to come inside the polemic,” the Italian told reporters.
He suggested the officiating crew were influenced by the fallout from Arsenal’s victory at West Ham the previous day. “The first minute until the end of the game the referee went to me, ‘if you go out, yellow card’.”
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 yesterday’s 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 can’t understand the polemic about yesterday’s VAR because it was a foul, 200%,” he insisted.
He maintained that David Raya was clearly fouled in the build-up to Callum Wilson’s strike. Tottenham must now prepare for their final fixtures as the battle against the drop reaches its conclusion.
Read more – Ernst Kuzorra: Belonging and playing in Nazi Germany | Part 1
Also see – De Zerbi Frustrated as Spurs Draw Leaves Survival in Balance
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