Tottenham Star Reacts to Controversial Hoffenheim Penalty Reversal in Europa League Clash
A Tottenham Hotspur player took to social media to express his shock following a controversial penalty decision during their Europa League match against Hoffenheim.
Ange Postecoglou’s side traveled to the Rhein-Neckar Arena aiming to secure a direct spot in the last 16 amidst a challenging league run. The first half went smoothly for Spurs, with James Maddison and Son Heung-min scoring to give the visitors a comfortable lead at halftime.
However, Hoffenheim came out strong after the break. Their hopes of a comeback intensified when Spurs goalkeeper Brandon Austin collided with Max Moerstedt while attempting to intercept a cross. Referee Morten Krogh quickly pointed to the penalty spot and issued Austin a yellow card, though replays revealed that Austin had made contact with the ball before the collision.
As Hoffenheim prepared to take the penalty, VAR intervened, prompting the referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. Following a lengthy review, the penalty decision was overturned, and Austin’s yellow card was rescinded.
The sequence sparked significant debate online, with Tottenham star Djed Spence sharing his disbelief on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “what ??” alongside two laughing emojis. Spence, along with other ineligible players like Antonin Kinsky, Sergio Reguilon, and Min-hyeok Yang, was absent from the match.
Despite VAR sparing Spurs a penalty, Hoffenheim soon found a breakthrough as Anton Stack scored, reducing the deficit and reigniting the match’s intensity.