Tottenham are preparing to formally contact refereeing body Pro Ref after Jayden Bogle avoided dismissal for a first-half challenge on Mathys Tel during their loss at Leeds, with the club seeking clarity on why the incident did not produce a red card. The Tottenham Bogle red card complaint follows a VAR review that did not lead to an on-field inspection by referee John Brooks.
Bogle, 26, caught Tel on the back of the ankle with his studs. No card was issued, and because Brooks had not initially booked the Leeds defender, the incident passed without any sanction. Tottenham believe the challenge warranted a sending-off and intend to ask Pro Ref to explain the decision.
VAR review without a pitchside look
The Video Assistant Referee examined the challenge at length, but Brooks was not instructed to consult the pitchside monitor. The review was therefore completed by the VAR team alone. Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann told BBC Sport that Bogle was fortunate to remain on the pitch, arguing the tackle met the criteria for serious foul play because it endangered an opponent.
The timing of the incident added to Tottenham’s difficulties. By the time play restarted, less than nine minutes remained in the first half, and the visitors’ momentum and composure were already slipping. Roberto De Zerbi’s side did not appear to recover, and after the interval they were outworked and outplayed by the home team.
De Zerbi avoids blaming the officials
Despite the controversy, De Zerbi declined to attribute the defeat to the refereeing decision. He said his team deserved to lose in the second half and did not perform to their capabilities, describing the match as part of a learning process. The Italian also apologised for the second-half display, saying Spurs lacked the character and physicality expected of a top side.
His frustration did surface later. Early in the second half, Pedro Porro and De Zerbi were both booked at the same time after a challenge by the Spanish defender. De Zerbi called the caution for Porro incredible and expressed surprise at the decision, while reiterating that he retained full confidence in the referee and VAR.
Why the review became a talking point
The incident drew immediate comparisons with the recent dismissal of Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta against Tottenham. Former Spurs midfielder Michael Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live that the no-red-card outcome would generate debate. The absence of a pitchside review was central to that debate, since it left the final judgment with the VAR hub at Stockley Park.
BBC football issues correspondent Dale Johnson assessed that Bogle was very lucky to escape even a booking. He noted the unusual mechanics of the foul: Bogle was positioning himself to challenge with his right foot and, while planting his left, stepped on Tel’s ankle. At full speed the contact looked innocuous, which may explain why Brooks gave only the foul. Slow-motion replays, however, showed the ugly nature of the contact and the twist of the ankle.
Johnson added that VAR Tony Harrington could easily have sent Brooks to the monitor for an on-field review. Harrington spent a long time examining the replays, possibly because Tel was receiving treatment, but lengthy checks can create uncertainty about the process. Harrington ultimately confirmed the on-field decision of no red card, citing a lack of speed into the challenge and the fact Bogle was stepping into the tackle. He described it as a reckless challenge, which would normally mean a yellow card, but VAR cannot intervene to recommend a booking.
Johnson also distinguished the incident from Mateta’s red card. Mateta, who had been booked on the field, made a lunging, stretching tackle with studs leading, a type of challenge generally associated with greater force and danger. Bogle was not really making a challenge, yet the contact itself means many observers may still believe a VAR review for a red card was warranted.
