‘I don’t care’ – Ange Postecoglou gets into tense exchange with journalist after Tottenham defeat
Postecoglou Dismisses Debate Over Disallowed Palace Goal in Fiery Exchange
Ange Postecoglou gave a sharp and unapologetic response when questioned about Crystal Palace’s disallowed goal during their win over Tottenham in north London on Sunday.
Palace appeared to have struck first in the eighth minute, with Ismaila Sarr finishing off a rapid counter-attack. However, the goal was overturned by VAR using semi-automated offside technology, which detected an infringement in the build-up.
Footage showed Jean-Philippe Mateta was marginally offside just inside the Spurs half earlier in the move, leading to the decision being reversed.
Speaking to talkSPORT after the match, Postecoglou was asked about the incident and responded bluntly: “It was offside. The rules are clear—it was offside, wasn’t it?”
When interviewer Alfie Reynolds suggested there was debate around such close calls, Postecoglou pushed back, saying: “You just said offside is offside. So are you saying sometimes it’s not? Is that your point?”
Reynolds noted that no one had appealed for the offside at the time, prompting a sarcastic reply from the Spurs manager: “So if no one appeals, it doesn’t count?”
He continued: “I don’t understand the confusion. Offside is a factual call. Unless you’re saying the rules should change—is that what you’re saying?”
When asked whether more tolerance, like requiring visible daylight between players, should be introduced to the offside law, Postecoglou acknowledged that was a different conversation but stood firm: “That’s not the rule now. That was offside. You can’t expect the referee to ignore the rule just because it’s close.”
He made his position crystal clear: “I don’t care. You follow the rules. We’ve been caught by the same decisions this season. It’s offside, that’s a fact. That’s why VAR exists—for clear, factual decisions.”
Tottenham’s loss to Palace marked their 20th Premier League defeat of the season, with two matches remaining. They sit 17th in the table and cannot finish higher than 13th, ensuring their lowest top-flight finish in over two decades—and possibly their worst season since returning to the Premier League in 1978.
