Maddison Criticizes Referees Over VAR Decisions
James Maddison made his first appearance of the season as an 85th-minute substitute for Tottenham in their match against Leeds.
Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has expressed his view that referees are "petrified" to make decisions because of the video assistant referee (VAR) system, following the denial of an injury-time penalty in a game against Leeds on Monday.
Coming off the bench, Maddison went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha during added time. However, referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR officials dismissed his appeal for a penalty kick.
The match ended in a 1-1 draw, leaving Spurs two points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with two games remaining in the season.
Maddison, 29, who was returning from injury, posted on his Instagram account:
"For clarity3 The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my right foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that.
"But the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS."
Concerns Over VAR Impact on Officiating
This is not the first occasion Maddison has voiced criticism of referees. In September, he stated that referees and VAR "had an absolute shocker of a start" to the season after Professional Game Match Officials Limited chief Howard Webb introduced a policy of "less intervention" for VAR in the Premier League.
BBC pundit Alan Shearer has also been outspoken in his criticism of VAR, describing refereeing standards as "the worst we have seen for a long time" and asserting they are "only getting worse" due to the use of VAR technology.
Former Liverpool full-back Stephen Warnock has labeled VAR as the "worst thing that has been introduced to the game," while ex-England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has commented that the emotional aspect of football is being diminished by technology.
UEFA to Review VAR Usage
Meanwhile, Europe's leading football leagues have been called to a meeting with UEFA during the summer to discuss the application of VAR technology. UEFA's head of referees, Roberto Rosetti, remarked:
"I believe that we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced."
