Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly set to lodge a formal complaint with refereeing body Pro Ref over the decision not to send off Leeds United defender Jayden Bogle for a challenge that injured Mathys Tel.
The incident occurred shortly before half-time during Leeds' win over Spurs on Saturday, which ended Tottenham's three-game winning streak. Bogle's studs caught Tel on the left Achilles, forcing the Frenchman off the pitch. Referee John Brooks did not issue a card, and a VAR review lasting around four minutes concluded the challenge did not meet the threshold for serious foul play.
Former referee calls for red card
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has criticised the decision, stating the nature of the challenge warranted a red card. "This challenge should frankly always be red carded," he said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The Achilles is a very vulnerable area and the safety of the player must be taken into account."
Tottenham have confirmed that Tel left Elland Road in a protective boot.
Spurs to contact Pro Ref
Standard Sport understands that Spurs are set to write to Pro Ref, the refereeing body, to seek an explanation for why Bogle was not sent off.
Despite the controversy, Tottenham head coach Roberto De Zerbi expressed confidence in the officials. "No, I have big confidence in the referee," he said when asked if he would have wanted Brooks to review the incident on the monitor. "Nothing changes if he goes to watch the clip or not. I think there was the VAR, and if they didn't take the right decision, I don't know. But we have confidence, we have to keep our eyes on the performance where we can improve."
