Star Metro - Postecoglou 'falling out of love' with football due to VAR

NYSE - LSE

RBGPF	1.9%	69.89	$
CMSC	0.05%	21.35	$
BCC	-0.8%	80.4	$
RIO	-1.89%	104.83	$
RYCEF	1.65%	21.15	$
GSK	-0.77%	51.67	$
NGG	-0.78%	80.545	$
RELX	-1.37%	35.395	$
BTI	1.91%	57.57	$
JRI	0.08%	12.49	$
BCE	-0.66%	23.435	$
CMSD	-0.52%	21.15	$
VOD	-1.03%	15.965	$
BP	0.21%	42.95	$
AZN	-2.37%	165.735	$

Postecoglou 'falling out of love' with football due to VAR

SPORTS 04.04.2025

Postecoglou 'falling out of love' with football due to VAR / Photo: Glyn KIRK - AFP

Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou said on Friday he will no longer celebrate goals after being stung by Pape Sarr's disallowed effort in a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Text size:

Postecoglou cupped his ear towards the Spurs fans when Sarr's shot hit the net on Thursday, minutes after the Australian's decision to bring on the Senegal international for Lucas Bergvall had been met with chants of "you don't know what you're doing".

After a lengthy delay, the goal was disallowed for a foul by Sarr on Moises Caicedo earlier in the move.

Caicedo also had a goal ruled out after a long VAR check for offside.

Postecoglou said after the match that VAR was "killing the game" and spectacle as 12 minutes of time was added on due to the stoppages.

"I am falling out of love with the game because I loved celebrating goals," the former Celtic boss said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Southampton's visit to north London on Sunday.

"Last night I did and I'm paying a massive price for it. I'll make sure I don't do it again but I think that's kind of sad."

Postecoglou's future at the club appears to rest on the outcome of Tottenham's Europa League campaign.

Spurs sit 14th in the Premier League after a 16th defeat in 30 matches.

They face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League quarter-finals as they aim to win the club's first trophy since 2008.

Postecoglou is hoping that any fan frustration towards him will be put aside to encourage the team in the closing weeks of the season.

"It's been a ridiculously challenging season on all fronts and every fan has the right to show their frustration," he added.

"It is up to us to try and find a way to get them back on board with what we're doing.

"I still can't get away from the fact we have a real massive opportunity for ourselves between now and the end of the season. I think it would be different if that didn't exist. It would be a tougher road to navigate.

"But I am hoping that irrespective of how the fans feel about me, what I'm doing and the project we've embarked on, I hope when the games come around, they just get behind the players and the team because they can make an enormous difference."

F.Leblanc--SMC

Featured

Veteran promoter Warren says it's Joshua's job to agree Fury fight

Anthony Joshua has the fate of a long-awaited 'Battle of Britain' clash with fellow former heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury in his hands, according to veteran promoter Frank Warren.

UEFA 'likely' to drop threat to boycott FIFA tournaments: source

UEFA is "likely" to withdraw its threat to boycott FIFA tournaments as the two conditions it was seeking from world football's governing body following president Gianni Infantino's failed attempt to sell off stakes in the World Cup have been met, a source told AFP on Wednesday.

Ex-champ Wawrinka gets last-minute wildcard to US Open

Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka has been granted a last-minute wildcard to compete in US Open singles next week, organizers announced Wednesday, following controversy over the 2016 champion's omission.

Brennan blasts to Vuelta stage five victory, Pogacar holds lead

Matthew Brennan powered to victory in stage five of the Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday, comfortably holding off Jordi Meeus in a bunch sprint finish to claim his second stage win of the race.