Tottenham midfielder James Maddison has voiced his belief that VAR is causing referees to be “petrified” of making on-field calls, after his stoppage-time penalty appeal was denied during Monday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds. The 29-year-old, who returned from an anterior cruciate ligament injury to make his first appearance of the season as an 85th-minute substitute, went down under a challenge from Lukas Nmecha. However, referee Jarred Gillett and the VAR officials swiftly rejected the spot-kick claim.
Maddison took to Instagram to clarify the incident, explaining that the touch on the ball came from his own right foot, not Nmecha’s. “The check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS,” he wrote.
The result leaves Tottenham just two points above the Premier League relegation zone with two games remaining, intensifying the spotlight on officiating. Maddison’s criticism joins a chorus of voices from pundits and former players. Alan Shearer has described refereeing standards as “the worst we have seen for a long time” and worsening due to VAR. Stephen Warnock called VAR “the worst thing that has been introduced to the game,” while Wayne Rooney claimed it saps the emotion from football.
In response to mounting concerns, UEFA has called a meeting with Europe’s top leagues this summer to discuss VAR implementation. Roberto Rosetti, head of UEFA referees, remarked, “I believe that we forgot the reason why VAR was introduced.”
