Jose Mourinho has slammed VAR after incidents in the Merseyside derby and Manchester City’s win over Porto in the Champions League.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was not sent off after a horrible tackle on Virgil van Dijk, while Ilkay Gundogan escaped punishment after fouling Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin.
Tottenham boss Mourinho thinks both players should have been sent off and wants changes made to the VAR system.
“I think the attention [the incidents have received] is based on the fact that there is a VAR. Without VAR, the situations on the pitch happen and the human being, the referee, makes mistakes,” Mourinho said.
“And you know me for quite a few years – it was difficult for me to accept the human mistakes but I learned and in this moment, I always accept the referee’s mistakes.
“What we don’t accept is the VAR mistakes. So I think if the referee of that match [the Merseyside derby], 100 mph, the situation happened, the linesman gives an offside, everybody would say: ‘Ok, it was a bad tackle but it happened and it’s done’.
“But the problem was there was a VAR. The Porto goalkeeper could be now with a broken leg. And nobody understands how a broken leg for a Porto goalkeeper is transformed into a penalty against them.
“If the referee makes that mistake, everybody understands because the game is 100mph but with the VAR, how can that VAR make that mistake? And the situation of Pickford for me is the same. It’s the VAR, it’s not the referee.”
