Sent off at the end of the match by the referee after a goal denied to Harry Kane in added time, Tottenham coach Antonio Conte denounced "
an unfair decision
" and left the post-match press conference after a only question.
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When the score was 1-1 and a victory would have qualified Spurs for the next round, Kane, after a deflection from the head of Emerson Royal, deceived Antonio Adan (90 + 5).
But after long minutes of consultation, VAR ruled out the goal for offside by the centre-forward.
In the confusion that followed, the referee of the match, the Dutchman Danny Makkiele sent a red card to the Italian coach who will therefore not be on the bench in Marseille for the last match, in six days, where defeat will be prohibited for Londoners.
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“
Everyone entered the pitch, but it was me he sent off
,” Conte began to reply when asked to recount the stormy end to the match and his sending off.
“
There are times you have to be smart, he has just canceled a valid goal because the deflection was made in front of Kane
” and therefore behind, said the Italian.
On Ivan Perisic's long cross from the left, it is true that Royal's header seems to go backwards at first -- and there can be no offside on a back pass --, but it is immediately deflected by a defender forward to reach Kane who was very slightly offside at the time of the deflection.
“
I think we're not very lucky with the VAR.
I would like to see if they would make this kind of decision and unfair decision, I repeat, against a big team in an important match
, ”continued to curse Conte, his voice vibrating with indignation.
Antonio Conte sent off by the referee.
TONY OBRIEN / PANORAMIC
“
Sometimes we can accept this type of decision but when we do not see honesty, we are very angry
,” he continued.
He nevertheless recognized that in “
the first period (his team had) not put enough intensity and Sporting deserved to lead
”.
"
But in the second period, I think we deserved the three points
," he added.
“
Now we have to wait for the last match in Marseille (to find out if we are qualified).
This creates a big damage to the club and I hope that the officials of the club will speak about it to whom
it may concern, ”he concluded before getting up and leaving the conference room without taking any further questions.
