Tottenham Star James Maddison Calls Out Premier League Referees- 'Officials are Petrified'

Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Tottenham Star James Maddison Calls Out Premier League Referees- 'Officials are Petrified'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated May 12, 2026 5:01 PM ET

Tottenham Hotspur remain in the relegation battle with West Ham United following the 1-1 draw with Leeds United last night.

Spurs were pushing for a winner after Leeds United equalized through a penalty goal from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A moment that could have changed positively for Spurs was when the returning James Maddison went down in the box late in the match.

Maddison attempted to cross the ball in the box when, suddenly, Leeds United player Lukas Nmecha got close, and the Spurs attacking midfielder went down. No penalty was given for Spurs following a VAR check, and the decision of no penalty sparked controversy.

James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 11, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images

In the end, Spurs couldn't find the winner and are only two points above West Ham with games left this season.

A day later, Madison went on Instagram to discuss the penalty incident last night and had strong words about the refereeing

James Maddison on Controversial Penalty Moment

On his Instagram story, Maddison called out the Premier League referees following the controversial moment between him and Lukas Nmecha.

After Maddison went down, Spurs were given a corner, with the referee thinking that Nmecha toe-poked the ball out without making contact with Maddison's foot.

Maddison was furious at the decision not going his way, but how fast VAR checked the play.

Maddison gave a different version of the incident and wrote, "For clarity... The small, tiny touch on the ball to change direction came from the outside of my foot, not Nmecha, and I told the ref that, but the check was over in about 20 seconds. Officials are petrified to make decisions on the pitch now because of VAR. We keep fighting. COYS."