Antonio Conte was furious with the decison to not award Tottenham a penalty in the first-half
(Picture: REUTERS)Tottenham manager Antonio Conte has said it would be better to scrap VAR after his side had a penalty decision overturned in the 1-1 draw at West Ham.
Spurs were awarded a first-half spot-kick when Harry Kane’s header appeared to strike the arm of Aaron Cresswell but referee Peter Bankes overturned the decision after being advised to consult the pitch-side monitor by VAR Stuart Atwell.
A Thilo Kehrer own goal gave Spurs the lead but they were pegged back by Tomas Soucek’s equaliser after the interval, leaving Conte frustrated and claiming Bankes had been “embarrassed” by his video assistant.
“I think in England it is better to cut off VAR -- for the crowd but also for us,” Conte said.
“For me, for my players, for every coach, every player at all the clubs, you accept the referee’s decision is positive or negative because these are human mistakes.
“With the monitor, you see the situation, it can be a human mistake. I don’t want to think anything. But I repeat, I’m really disappointed, these people, they stay behind the monitor, they have to pay more attention, they have to study, I don’t know…
“In England, I spoke with the other managers and no one is happy about this situation.
“Honestly, at the end of the first half, I spoke with the referee and told him ‘you have taken the right decision’. 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. I can tell only that the referee has taken the right decision. Usually the VAR calls when the call is not right.
“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.
“The VAR for sure embarrassed the referee because to make him change the right decision was really, really strange.”
The results leaves Spurs unbeaten in five matches but having not found top gear ahead of Saturday’s visit of Fulham.
“We started the season very well, we are unbeaten and we play five games and three away,” Conte said.
“In a difficult place like West Ham, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest, we are doing well and trying to improve. Now we have another game to prepare in two days against Fulham then we think about the Champions League.”
