Tottenham Hotspur have officially lodged a formal written complaint to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) regarding a series of “inconsistent” decisions.
Its been a difficult season at Tottenham with the club forced to sack Thomas Frank, who was appointed in the summer. Igor Tudor was appointed as the interim manager but things has not change.
The London club have now reached out directly to PGMOL chief Howard Webb to express their growing frustration. The correspondence reportedly focuses heavily on a perceived lack of uniformity in how contact inside the penalty area is being officiated, specifically regarding goals that have been either awarded or chalked off in high-stakes moments.
According to report, the breaking point for the Spurs board appears to have been the differing interpretations of physical play in consecutive fixtures.
During a painful 4-1 home defeat to rivals Arsenal on February 22, Tottenham saw a potential equaliser from Randal Kolo Muani ruled out. The Frenchman was judged to have pushed Gabriel Magalhaes in the build-up.
Tottenham Hotspur players walks back to the halfway line to kick off after conceding during their Premier League match against Fulham. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Referencing the official explanation, Spurs noted that referee Peter Bankes remarked on the Match Officials Mic’d Up show: “Once you see two hands in live play, it looks like a push, a clear push. I was more than happy that the two hands on the back had enough impact and was an offence.”
However, the club’s irritation peaked just days ago during their 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage. Tottenham were left bewildered when Harry Wilson’s opening goal for Fulham was allowed to stand despite Raul Jimenez appearing to shove Radu Dragusin as they challenged for a header.
The officials on the day ruled that the contact did not meet the necessary threshold for a foul, a decision that stood in stark contrast to the Kolo Muani incident. The discrepancy has left the Tottenham demanding answers over why similar physical interactions are being judged by entirely different standards from one week to the next.
Interim boss Tudor did not hold back in his assessment of the officiating following the loss to the Cottagers, echoing the sentiments now formalised in the club’s letter. Tudor vented his frustration to reporters, stating: “Of course, it’s a foul. Nine out of 10 people will say it’s a foul, I believe, because it’s so obvious, you know. Sometimes they don’t understand it’s enough, even small contact, you know, if it gives you an advantage to score the goal, you need to cancel this, finish it. It’s not about a normal duel when he’s soft, no, when he pushes with the hands and don’t watch the ball, no. Sometimes it’s just easy to get advantage.”
The Croatian tactician has lost both of his matches since stepping in to replace Thomas Frank with the club now five games without a win in all competitions. Their last league victory came in late-December.
