Fuming Mourinho blasts VAR decisions after defeat

London, January 2

Advertisement

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has launched a broadside at Video Assistant Referees (VAR) after his team’s New Year’s Day defeat to Southampton, saying remote officials have more power than on-field referees over big decisions. Spurs lost 1-0 at Southampton with a spectacular Danny Ings goal separating the two sides but Mourinho was fuming over a potential foul on midfielder Dele Alli inside the box in the first half that was not assessed by VAR.

“For me the referees are not the referees,” Mourinho said. “I think the VAR should change their name because Video Assistant Referee is not true. It should be VR — Video Referee — because they are the referees. You see the refs on pitch and they not the refs, they are the assistants. The other guys in the office are the ones who make the big decisions. What I know is the Dele Alli penalty was a penalty and the VAR didn’t interfere.”

Mourinho’s anger was compounded when VAR assessed another incident where Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy dived at Alli’s feet to get to a loose ball and got there first. Mourinho said the fact that VAR interfered in the second decision, which he acknowledged was not a penalty, was meant to take the focus away from the first decision which should have been analysed instead. “The direction it is taking us in is really, really wrong,” the Portuguese manager added.

Kane injury

Tottenham is waiting to find out the extent of Harry Kane’s hamstring injury after the striker left Southampton’s stadium on crutches after the loss. Kane picked up the problem in the process of scoring an offside goal. Kane was not the only player Spurs lost to injury as Tanguy Ndombele limped off in the first half and it caused Mourinho to lose his patience.

The France midfielder has been beset by fitness concerns following his summer move from Lyon and recently told his manager that he did not want to be selected for the Boxing Day match against Brighton. “He is always injured, he is injured, is not injured,” Mourinho said about the club’s record signing, who was brought in by previous manager Mauricio Pochettino. — Agencies