Tottenham Coach to the English: Protect the Sanctity of the Game from VAR

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou questioned why the English audience has not scrutinized the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, following the historic announcement by referee Stuart Attwell during Tottenham’s victory in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final against Liverpool.

According to PA Media, Lucas Bergvall scored in the 86th minute to secure a win for Tottenham at home ahead of the second leg next month at Anfield.

Earlier in the game, Tottenham had a goal disallowed after VAR intervention ruled out Dominic Solanke’s effort for an offside, awarding a free kick to Liverpool.

Attwell had to announce the decision to the crowd in the stadium, marking the first-ever VAR announcement in English football. However, Postecoglou, who has consistently criticized the use of technology in football, was unimpressed.

When asked about VAR, Postecoglou said: “I’m genuinely surprised at how easily people in this country are allowing the game to change so quickly.”

He added: “The game has changed since VAR came in. It’s not the same as it was 50 years ago. We weren’t debating offsides or positioning in the box like we are now.”

He emphasized: “We need to be cautious. Why do we want to change the game in this way? I thought people would be more protective of the sanctity of the game.”

He continued: “I think there’s a lot of confusion at the moment because of the technology. It feels like no one is really talking about it – especially in this country, where you’re the guardians of the game. You’ve got a song that says, ‘It’s coming home.’ This is your game, yet it takes an Australian from the other side of the world to question these changes.”