Gareth Southgate Slams VAR Rules After Penalty Controversy in England Draw With Italy

Gareth Southgate has furiously questioned how video assistant referees rule on decisions, after England were denied a win over Italy in controversial circumstances.

Southgate was quoted in the Sun after the friendly match as he queried what constituted a 'clear and obvious' foul in the build-up to Lorenzo Insigne's spot kick that secured a 1-1 draw for the Italians.

The Three Lions were leading the Azzurri 1-0 at Wembley thanks to Jamie Vardy's volley when Federico Chiesa went down under a challenge from debutant James Tarkowski - the defender standing on the attacker's foot to impede him, but the forward was already tumbling to the ground as contact was made.

Referee Denis Aytekin originally gave a corner before deciding to check the VAR monitor over the incident. He then reversed his decision to give the visitors a penalty despite the unclear nature of the foul.

And Southgate urged football's authorities to clarify their rules regarding the use of VAR before a controversial decision can have a huge impact a big tournament - such as this summer's World Cup in Russia.

He remarked: “I’m glad it’s not the World Cup just yet. The ruling is ‘clear and obvious’ — and it’s not. 

“James stands on him but it’s during the running process and he’s going down anyway. I think the referee had a good view already.

“I don’t think with incidents like that, VAR will clear things up but it’s one that you can debate all day. An obvious handball and stuff like that then maybe — but we have to get on with it.

“I prefer the referee’s decision is final. It’s sport — we shouldn’t be talking about how much money is lost.”

(You may also be interested in England 1-1 Italy: Controversy Clouds Another Decent Three Lions Showing Via Late VAR Penalty)

Away from that issue, Southgate revealed his happiness at the overall display from his side as they matched Italy for long spells after a shaky opening period in London.

He added: “I’m pleased with the performance. You can see the players starting to gain confidence and work out the solutions. We were a massive threat going forward, far more than in previous games.

“Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jesse Lingard were bright and sharp. Raheem Sterling was a real threat and Jamie Vardy is a different problem for the opposition.”