Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola's fury at Leeds United Longstaff equaliser after referee room chat — YEP 22/4/26
By Graham Smyth
Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth side looked to be heading for
victory until Leeds United’s Sean Longstaff thumped home a 97th-minute
equaliser.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has expressed his anger at
Leeds United's 97th-minute equaliser being allowed to stand.
Leeds scored with almost the last kick of the game at the
Vitality Stadium but Bournemouth were furious that Joel Piroe's positioning did
not prompt VAR to chalk off the goal. Sean Longstaff ran onto a dropping ball
and thumped it into the net yet Iraola went to speak with the officials after
the game to discuss why it was allowed to stand given his belief that Piroe was
in the eyeline of Djordje Petrovic.
"I'm really angry, disappointed, frustrated," he
said. "It's a difficult one to swallow. We celebrated the 3-1, it's
offside, you have to accept but the 2-2 we cannot accept.
“His position is clear, it affects Petro. I've spoken to the
referee. The referee tried to make it look like it's a very difficult play.
[But] it affects the view of Petrovic. It makes it more difficult for him to
save that goal definitely. I can't tell you he would save it.
“With Piroe it makes it impossible to know. It's clearly
offside, I don't think it's as difficult as they say. He understood my
explanation, I think it's very unfair for him, he's calling it live. It's
impossible for him to see it live. But VAR. We complained straight away,
everyone thought it would be disallowed and we were very surprised. But we are
not going to get back the two points. Imagine how decisive these two points
could be for us."
Where Daniel Farke pointed out the poetic nature of the
result after Bournemouth snatched a barely-deserved point late on at Elland
Road back in September, Iraola was struggling to see past what he felt was the
key incident.
"I think we deserved to win today," he said.
"We had to be a little patient, Leeds are defending very well, not
conceding a lot of chances. But we put them under real pressure, scored our
goals and deserved the win today. One millimetre offside, the last one is
offside and that's it. Now we understand how important it is.
"I don't want to argue [about other decisions]. I think
there was a clear yellow on Brooksy, a possible penalty for Brooksy but they
are not key.
“I've put a good example I think because against Leeds in
the away game we finished 2-2, Longstaff scored and there was a Leeds player in
an offside position. I think it wasn't affecting Petro, it went top corner. We
accepted it. But not this one. All the arguments they put to explain, Petro has
to [move], it goes to the post where he is. They will try to explain it, but
even then I don't think they can explain."
