‘But why? The ball went backwards!’ Eric Dier is left in disbelief as VAR overturns Harry Kane’s last-gasp Champions League winner against Sporting Lisbon – but his pleas to officials fall on deaf ears
- Microphones picked up the defender’s conversation with officials at the end
- Kane’s winner was ruled out after he was judged to have been offside in the play
- Dier was livid with the decision and confronted referee Danny Makkelie
- The decision means Spurs still have it all to do in their last Group Stage game
Tottenham defender Eric Dier was left fuming with officials after Harry Kane‘s 95th minute winner against Sporting Lisbon was disallowed by VAR.
Spurs thought they’d wrapped up all three points and secured qualification into the round of 16 after Kane smashed the ball into the back of the net following a neat lay-off from Emerson Royal.
To the dismay of Dier and the 60,000 home fans in attendance, VAR ruled that Kane was offside, which left the England defender bemused and needing answers.
Footage showed Spurs’ Eric Dier confronting officials on the night over VAR’s decision
The defender claimed that because the ball was played backwards, the goal should have stood
However, rules state that an attacking player can still be offside if the ball is played backwards
In footage that has emerged in the aftermath, Dier can be seen confronting the officials before Dutch referee Makkelie tells the defender that ‘it was offside’.
The Spurs defender is still confused and questions: ‘But why?! Why?! The ball went backwards!’
However, it has since been explained that the decision was correct and that Dier’s queries were unjustified. Rules state a player can still be offside, even if the ball is played backwards – which Kane was when Royal passed the ball.
The scenes of delirium from the home side, as Kane wheeled away with his team-mates, were put to an end by officials following a lengthy VAR check.
Harry Kane thought he had wrapped up all three points with his close-range strike
Spurs will have to ensure qualification with at least a draw when they travel to Marseille
Antonio Conte was sent off for his reaction to the decision – which chalked off Spurs’ lead on the night – and later claimed he felt ‘a lot of injustice’ in the situation.
The Spurs boss said: ‘The ball was in front of Kane and the goal is a goal. I don’t understand the VAR, the line they put. It’s very difficult to comment on this decision, VAR is creating a lot of damage. We have to accept.
‘I want to see if in another stadium of a big team if they are ready to disallow this type of goal. I feel a lot of injustice, I don’t see positivity with this.
‘I’m really upset because sometime you can accept these situation. But I don’t see honesty in this type of situation, when I see this I become very upset.’
Tottenham boss Antonio Conte was left irate after his team were denied a late winner vs Lisbon
The VAR controversy was discussed by pundits after the game and Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle said he fears that fans will soon stop attending matches if VAR does not give more leniency on tight calls.
‘I’ve thought about this for a long time,’ he said while appearing as a pundit for BT Sport. ‘People in the stadium, they’re not going to come to the stadium anymore.
‘As a player you want to celebrate a goal and as fans you want to celebrate a goal. Now, nowadays they’re are going to be goals going in and players will be going, we can’t celebrate here. Til we wait.
‘It’s taking everything we like about football away from the game.’
Spurs missed the chance to seal their progress to the last-16 but still top their group