Football

VAR referee David Coote blunders in TWO Prem games on same day as Chelsea boss Lampard blasts missed ‘leg-breaker’


VAR chiefs were forced into an astonishing U-turn after their worst day yet.

Stockley Park’s top brass apologised for an error for the first time — after a ruling made a mockery of the whole system.

 Tottenham's Lo Celso was not red carded despite a horror stamp on the Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta

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Tottenham’s Lo Celso was not red carded despite a horror stamp on the Chelsea captain Cesar AzpilicuetaCredit: BT Sport
 Azpilicueta was left worse for wear from the challenge

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Azpilicueta was left worse for wear from the challengeCredit: BT Sport


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Chelsea boss Frank Lampard raged after Gio Lo Celso’s ‘leg-breaker’ lunge on Cesar Azpilicueta was deemed legal by VAR ref David Coote.

Brendan Rodgers then railed against double standards by the SAME official in the late game.

Speaking after his side’s 2-1 win over Spurs, Lamps said: “Everyone in the world saw it was a red. It is too late to own up now. That should have been given.

“You hate to call for a red card but that’s a legbreaker without a doubt. VAR can see it and needs to give the right decision.

“I was just waiting for the red card to be shown, not with real pleasure but because it’s just a tackle that endangers a player.

A NEW LOW FOR VAR

By Mark Halsey

VAR checked for serious foul play but in my opinion it was violent conduct.

From the initial live images you aren’t sure — but when they show the angles that VAR are seeing then it is a clear red card for stamping on an opponent.

It is an error by ref Michael Oliver yet his view was obstructed.

But what was fourth official Kevin Friend doing?

The PGMOL then tried to claim the decision was not a clear and obvious error as there was nowhere else for Giovani Lo Celso to put his foot, only to backtrack and state VAR got it wrong.

They do not seem to know what they are doing.

Once again we are seeing VAR viewing a red card incident and letting it go unpunished.

We hear fans chant ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ but do the PGMOL know what they are doing with VAR?

A lack of retrospective action surprises me, especially given their apology following the wrong call.

Frank Lampard is right to be unhappy. United’s Harry Maguire should have been sent off on Monday and so should Lo Celso yesterday.

Why do Premier League chiefs continue to ignore IFAB protocol and recommend Oliver goes to look at the monitor?

It is five yards away from the incident.

Everyone is bewildered with VAR now.

“That’s what VAR was for, to see things the ref and pitchside don’t see.

“And it’s just not good enough.

“Saying afterwards they made a mistake is not good enough. They probably needed one viewing. It’s another huge question mark over VAR.”

Remarkably, VAR had initially said referee Michael Oliver had not made “a clear and obvious error and there was nowhere else for Lo Celso to put his foot”.

But within minutes they had backtracked, issuing a statement saying “a human error had been made” by VAR and Lo Celso should have seen red for the gruesome challenge on the Chelsea captain.

Incredibly, Coote was still in front of the same screens during Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Leicester.

 Coote did not give Leicester a penalty when Maddison's free-kick his De Bruyne's arm

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Coote did not give Leicester a penalty when Maddison’s free-kick his De Bruyne’s armCredit: Reuters
 Gundogan's shot later hit Dennis Praet's arm and Coote awarded a penalty to Man City

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Gundogan’s shot later hit Dennis Praet’s arm and Coote awarded a penalty to Man CityCredit: Sportimage

In that game, he refused to uphold a Foxes penalty appeal for handball — but then signalled City should get one in a copycat incident later on.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho claimed Stockley Park should start apologising for previous VAR calls against his side. He said: “I hope the noise is the same as when the VAR kills us.”

Coote’s unhappy day ended with him public enemy No 1 in Leicester as well as west London.

The Foxes were raging when Kevin De Bruyne used an arm to stop a free-kick from hitting him in the face — and a penalty was not given.

But when Dennis Praet raised his arms in similar fashion in the Foxes box, Coote awarded a penalty.

Rodgers said: “I think it was pretty clear.

 David Coote made blunders in TWO Premier League games as VAR on Saturday

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David Coote made blunders in TWO Premier League games as VAR on SaturdayCredit: Getty Images – Getty

“Someone is sat in Stockley Park looking — and it should have been brought to the attention.

“It’s one of the reasons VAR was brought in.

“In their wall, all the other players’ arms are down but KDB has his arm up.

“It’s hitting the target and his hand’s up. That’s natural sometimes but it’s the whole reason to stop it, to give the advantage to the guys taking the free-kick.

“It’s disappointing not to get it. I don’t think VAR is the problem, it’s the interpretation. There’s a lot to improve.”

Former Prem referee Mark Halsey said it had been a mistake to make Coote the VAR official for two games in one day.

He said: “I believe it is too much for anybody to do that. It is because they are short on numbers.

“You get tired sitting in front of a screen for a couple of hours and can become mentally fatigued.

“Officials should not be doing two games in one day.”

Arsene Wenger to launch major overhaul of offside law in bid to end VAR madness





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