Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has questioned whether Premier League officials know how to correctly use VAR after a lengthy check eventually denied his team a penalty and proved costly in a 1-1 draw against West Ham on Wednesday night.
It was still goal-less and early in the game when referee Peter Bankes pointed to the spot after the ball struck the arm of Aaron Cresswell in the box. But a subsequent VAR check lasted more than three minutes, with the official eventually changing his mind after consulting the monitor.
Spurs did go on to take the lead thanks to a Thilo Kehrer own goal, but Tomas Soucek struck an equaliser than ensured the points were share and saw Conte’s side losing some ground on Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the table.
“It is incredible that VAR looked again, called the referee, he can see it was the right decision and the call from VAR was strange,” Conte told BT Sport. “I can tell only that the referee has taken the right decision. Usually the VAR calls when the call is not right.”
The bemused Spurs boss added, “In England they have to learn much more to use the VAR in the right way. You have to study very well and be more accurate.
“If there is VAR, you have to utilise it in the right way or accept the decision of the referee. If you have a TV then you have time to see. It is difficult not only for me but every coach.”
In his post-match press conference, Conte went on to unleash a furious tirade at what he felt was an ‘incredible’ mistake from VAR.
“I said to him [the referee] at the end of the first half, but with a smile and not in a problematic way, you have taken the right decision and then VAR called you. They have for sure embarrassed the referee because to make him change a right decision, I think it was really, really strange.
“But for managers and for players, I think to accept the mistake of the referee during the game is okay because a referee’s decision sometimes can be positive, sometimes can be negative. At the end of the season there is always a balance with a positive or negative situation for your team.
“Don’t forget that against Nottingham Forest and a clear situation of goal that the player and went with his hand and a clear penalty situation, red card no and today was clear because I know the rule.
“The problem is that it’s difficult to accept the decision when there are people behind the monitor with the video that they have a lot of time because they have taken a lot of time. I also listened to the whistles from the crowd because the crowd in England doesn’t like VAR and this is very, very clear. But I think they are right because if these are the decisions, it’s incredible or they don’t know the rules.
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“But this is not the first time because I have seen many times a VAR situation onside, then the same situation offside in another game, but because there is one finger or the line is curved instead to say right.
“But I think that in England it is better to cut off VAR for the crowd also for us because for me, for my players, for every coach, for every player of all the clubs I think you accept the referee’s decision, positive or negative, because this is a human mistake.
“With the monitor it can be a human mistake. I’m really disappointed because under these people who stay behind the monitor they have to pay more attention. They have to study also. I don’t know. In England I’ve also spoken with other managers and no one is happy about this situation.”
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