Ange Postecoglou denies taunting Tottenham fans following defeat at Chelsea - ‘Amazing how things get interpreted’
Updated 04/04/2025 at 08:46 GMT+1
Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has said "it's amazing how things get misinterpreted" after it was suggested he was taunting his own fans during their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea. The Spurs boss appeared to cup his ear towards the travelling supporters before Pape Sarr's equaliser was ruled out, just moments after the midfielder was booed as he was brought off the bench.
'It's going to be refereed by AI soon' - Postecoglou reacts to Spurs' loss to Chelsea
Video credit: SNTV
Ange Postecoglou has played down the suggestion he was taunting Tottenham Hotspur’s travelling supporters during their 1-0 defeat at Chelsea.
Following Enzo Fernandez’s headed opener, Spurs thought they had equalised through Pape Sarr’s long-range effort, but it was ruled out after he was judged to have fouled Moises Caicedo in the build-up.
Before the video assistant referee (VAR) intervened, Postecoglou appeared to cup his ear in the direction of the travelling fans, who had booed Sarr’s introduction five minutes earlier.
But the Spurs boss played down the gesture, saying: "It’s incredible how things get interpreted. We’d just scored, I wanted to hear them cheer. I wanted them to get really excited.
"If people want to read into that that I’m making a point about something [they can].
"I felt at that point we could potentially go on and win the game. I just felt momentum was [going] our way."
Discussing the fans' reception to Sarr being brought on, he said: "It doesn't bother me. It's not the first time they've booed my substitutions or my decisions. That's fine, they're allowed to do that, but we just scored a goal, we just scored an equaliser."
Speculation over Postecoglou’s disconnection from the fans was fuelled further at the full-time whistle when he stayed close to halfway, rather than going towards the away end to applaud the fans.
It came after chants of "you don’t know what you’re doing" were heard during the game from the travelling supporters towards their manager.
Discussing those chants, Postecoglou said: "It just doesn't affect me. If that's what the fans feel and if they feel that I'm not doing a good job then they've got every right to express that, they pay their hard-earned money and they they follow the club here.
"They're the ones that will be here long after I'm gone, so it doesn't affect me. What I kind of try and focus on is the things I can control."
The result leaves Spurs in 14th and without a win in their last four Premier League games, losing on three occasions during that time.
Per Squawka, the defeat also saw Postecoglou become the first Spurs manager to lose each of his first four league games against Chelsea.
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The Australian expressed his frustration with the decision to disallow Sarr’s strike, saying that VAR is "killing the game".
Referee Craig Pawson, advised by VAR to have a look at the pitchside monitor, overturned his decision after watching a replay of the challenge several times.
Discussing the incident, Postecoglou told Sky Sports: "It's [VAR] killing the game, mate. It's not the same game as it used to be.
"You don't know what you're going to get, you're standing around for 12 minutes, it's killing the game.
"But nobody cares about that. Everyone loves the drama and controversy. I'm sure there will be a 24-hour debate about it. I'm not interested in it really."
Fans have 'every right' to be angry - Maddison
A despondent James Maddison acknowledged Spurs fans' frustrations in his post-match interview.
The midfielder, who featured for 88 minutes at Stamford Bridge, said: "It hurts a lot, it's been one too many times this season.
"Our fans are rightly disappointed, we're disappointed, and we're just trying hard to search for the answers of why, in the league, we're not getting the results in tight games."
Maddison has scored nine goals in 28 Premier League appearances for Tottenham Hotspur this season.
Questioned about the anger shown by supporters at full-time, he added: "To be fair, they've got every right to be.
"I think it's still important that we go over and show our appreciation for them, even though we're not getting a nice reception.
"So that's why I still walk over there. I think they deserve that, even though it's not easy to go over and get pelters right at your face.
"We're just as disappointed as they are, but we're trying to put it right."
Tottenham host Southampton at the weekend, before a home game against Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
With that European quarter-final in mind, Maddison insisted they still have hopes of salvaging some success from this campaign: "We're two fixtures away from a European final, so it can still be a very special season.
"The message would be just stick with us. We need them as much as they need us."
Watch and stream Premier League and UEFA Champions League football live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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