Harry Redknapp backs Tottenham Hotspur penalty decisions
Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp has backed the referring decisions which saw his side awarded three penalties in their UEFA Champions League encounter against Dutch champions FC Twente.
The English Premier League side won the match 4-1 after being awarded three penalties by referee Terje Hauge. Replays showed that the first two spot-kicks were awarded despite being questionable.
But the Spurs boss defended the decisions, saying that, "The first two penalties were blatant and I don't know how you couldn't give them.”
Rafael van der Vaart missed the first penalty, but made amends by putting Spurs ahead after the interval. Roman Pavlyuchenko then doubled the lead when he scored from the spot, but Nacer Chadli was able to score for Twente. Pavlyuchenko restored the two-goal
cushion with another penalty, and Gareth Bale added a fourth goal five minutes from time.
Redknapp added that he was pleased to be witness to a thrilling game of football. The Spurs played at home in the competition’s group stage for the first time ever.
"It was exciting stuff. The first two penalties were blatant. (Peter) Crouch was pulled down, wrestled to the floor. For the second one (Gareth) Bale beat the fellow like he did all night and was pulled down. It was a blatant penalty. On the third, the ball
travelled a long way and it was a soft penalty, but you see them given. There was nothing wrong with (Rafael) van der Vaart's goal and it was a fantastic finish from Bale at the end."
Van der Vaart was also sent off after receiving two yellow cards. He will miss the crucial match against defending European champions Inter Milan in Italy. Redknapp defended his player, saying that the challenge which led to the Dutchman being dismissed
'wasn’t malicious'.
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