Tottenham Hotspur head coach Roberto De Zerbi has spoken out against the match officials following his side's defeat to Leeds United on Saturday, arguing that defender Jayden Bogle should have been dismissed for a collision with Mathys Tel during the contest.

De Zerbi was left frustrated by the decision not to issue a red card to Bogle, whose challenge on Tel went unpunished despite the Tottenham manager's strong belief that the incident warranted the most severe punishment available to the referee.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke, however, was quick to defend his player. Farke offered a striking characterisation of Bogle, calling him "my butterfly" — a description that underlined the manager's warm regard for the defender and his confidence that the challenge was not malicious.

Contrasting reactions from the dugout

The incident encapsulated a broader tension between two managers with sharply different perspectives on the same moment. For De Zerbi, the failure to act represented a significant injustice that influenced the outcome of the match. For Farke, the matter was straightforward — his player had done nothing worthy of a dismissal.

Bogle had been at the centre of the flashpoint when his challenge made contact with Tel, drawing an immediate reaction from the Tottenham bench. The Video Assistant Referee reviewed the incident but ultimately sided with the on-field decision, allowing Bogle to remain on the pitch.

Tottenham's defeat leaves De Zerbi searching for answers at a club where expectations remain high, while Leeds will take considerable encouragement from a result that strengthens their own ambitions. Farke's defence of Bogle signals that the Leeds camp consider the matter closed — even if De Zerbi clearly does not.