Antonio Conte says English football "must learn to use VAR the right way" after Tottenham had a penalty decision overturned in Wednesday's 1-1 draw with West Ham.
Referee Peter Bankes awarded Tottenham a spot-kick early on at London Stadium after Harry Kane's downward header struck the arm of Aaron Cresswell.
However, after a VAR check spanning four minutes, Bankes was instructed to view the incident on the pitchside monitor and decided the ball had inadvertently hit Cresswell's arm.
Conte was furious with the decision, although his side did go on to open the scoring before half-time when Thilo Kehrer turned Harry Kane's delivery into his own net.
Spurs were on course to make it 13 points from their first five Premier League games at that point – which would have been a club record – only for West Ham to hit back.
Michail Antonio flicked the ball into the path of Tomas Soucek to fire in an equaliser for the hosts, who looked the more likely to win the match in the remaining 35 minutes.
Tottenham remain unbeaten after five Premier League games for just the third time, but Conte was not happy after the game as he took aim at the match officials.
"Honestly, at the end of the first half, I spoke with the referee and told him 'you have taken the right decision'," Conte told BT Sport.
"It's incredible that VAR looked again and called the referee. [The referee] can see it was the right decision and the call from VAR was strange.
"I can tell only that the referee has taken the right decision. Usually the VAR calls when the call is not right.
"In England they have to learn to use the VAR in the right way. You have to study very well and be more accurate.
"If there's VAR, you have to utilise it in the right way or accept the decision of the referee. If you have a TV, you have time to see. It's difficult not only for me but every coach."
Elaborating on his comments at his post-match news conference, Conte said: "It's difficult to explain as you know very well that I don't like to comment on refereeing decisions.
"I've never done this in England. But today I like to comment on the decision because it was the right one [initially].
"With a smile I told [the referee] you've taken the right decision. For sure VAR embarrassed the referee because to make him change the right decision was really, really strange."
Tottenham, who are now winless in their past three league trips to London Stadium, ended the contest with an expected goals (xG) return of 0.6 compared to 1.3 for West Ham.
While upset with VAR, head coach Conte accepts his side could have done more to see out the victory.
"Without the penalty, we still went 1-0 up. In my opinion maybe we can do better to kill the game," he said.
"If you stay and you keep your opponent in the game it can happen a corner, a throw-in, a free-kick, and especially against West Ham you can pay and we paid.
"I think we have to learn for next time, for the future. We are going step by step. I think that the team today showed also to be strong and to be difficult to play against.
"But at the same time, when you have the opportunity to get three points, you have to get three points."
Napoli 2-2 Roma: Late Abraham header denies wasteful hosts
A wasteful Napoli were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Roma in Serie A, with a late Tammy Abraham header securing a point for the visitors.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the hour mark, with Paulo Dybala converting after Juan Jesus fouled Sardar Amzoun.
However, Napoli equalised six minutes later through Matias Olivera's deflected shot, and completed the turnaround with their own penalty six minutes from time as Victor Osimhen tucked away after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was felled by Renato Sanches.
The hosts could not hold on, though, and were pegged back with two minutes to go. Substitute Abraham's header from a corner was eventually awarded following a VAR review after he had initially been ruled offside.
Data debrief
Napoli remain eighth in the Serie A table on 50 points, the exact amount they had registered after their opening 19 games of last season.
Though his penalty was not enough to earn Roma victory, Dybala continued his impressive start to 2024, during which he has been involved in the joint-most goals in Serie A with 12 (nine goals, three assists).
Lyon are through to their 11th Women's Champions League final after sealing a 5-3 aggregate victory over compatriots Paris Saint-Germain.
The record eight-time winners scored three times in the final 10 minutes of last week's first leg to take a narrow 3-2 lead into the return fixture at Parc des Princes.
However, they were quicker out of the blocks in the second leg, with just three minutes on the clock when Selma Bacha drilled home from range for her first Champions League strike in five-and-a-half years.
Tabitha Chawinga responded before the break to reduce PSG's aggregate deficit to a single goal, but Melchie Dumornay put the tie beyond doubt nine minutes from time, as Sonia Bompastor's side set up a final showdown with Barcelona on May 25.
Data debrief
Lyon continued their dominance over PSG in Champions League semi-final encounters, having now progressed from each of their last four such ties.
The eight-time champions lost their first two semi-finals they contested in this competition, but have now won each of the last 10, and will seek a record-extending ninth title in Bilbao next month.
Alcaraz's pursuit for third straight Madrid Open crown continues by defeating Seyboth Wild
Carlos Alcaraz boosted his hopes of a third straight Madrid Open title as he comfortably beat Thiago Seyboth Wild to reach the fourth round on Sunday.
Back in his home country of Spain, Alcaraz eased to a 6-3 6-3 triumph to set up a fourth-round clash with Jan-Lennard Struff, whom he beat in last year's final.
The first six games of the opening set went to serve, but Alcaraz found a crucial break in the seventh and ninth games of the set to put him in pole position for victory, a lead he would not relinquish as he overcame being broken in the seventh game of the second set to seal his safe progression.
Holger Rune was a surprise casualty as the world number 12 was defeated 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Tallon Griekspoor, though world number eight Andrey Rublev eased through with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Data debrief
With his triumph over Seyboth Wild at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz has now won 93.3 per cent of his games at the tournament. That is the highest win percentage of any player with at least 10 games played in a single ATP-1000 event since the format was introduced in 1990.
Against Seyboth Wild, Alcaraz won 27 of his 31 first-serve points, also recording 19 winners to his opponent's 10 as he dominated the contest on his way to victory.
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