The linesman in Liverpool, Arsenal clash stirred quite some controversy. After going into half-time, left back Andrew Robertson was hit by an elbow strike. Not by an opponent, but by the linesman.
FA intervenes and suspends linesman after elbow strike
Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis’ crazy move caused a lot of controversy. The Liverpool full-back was furious as his teammates attacked referee Paul Tierney. Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett even told the BBC that he feared for his former colleague’s career.
Now the FA has actually taken action. Hatzidakis has been suspended immediately. The linesman will certainly not be in action this weekend, while it is doubtful whether he will be allowed to show up at all this season. The decision came after an inquiry by the England Referees’ Commission.
Why Brighton manager De Zerbi exploded against Tottenham?
The Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion has provided quite a bit of space for discussion. For example, there are apologies from the official arbitration association and it is a lot about the quarrel between compatriots Roberto de Zerbi and Cristian Stellini.
Just before kick-off, there was already some tension between De Zerbi and Stellini along the sidelines. Then everything was against Brighton on the field. The visitors saw two goals disallowed, while an obvious penalty kick was also overlooked.
The fact that Pierre-Emile Højbjerg stepped on Kaoru Mitoma’s foot had escaped referee Stuart Attwell and the VAR. For that incomprehensible decision, Brighton even received an apology from Howard Webb, the chairman of the arbitration association PGMOL.
Frustration built up along the sidelines at De Zerbi and reached a boiling point after an hour. The Italian exploded towards compatriot Stellini and the rest of the Tottenham staff. It ultimately resulted in a red card for both of them.
Corriere dello Sport reports that De Zerbi was already very irritated beforehand. Stellini had said that his compatriot at Brighton also benefits from the good work of Graham Potter. Stellini called De Zerbi tactically less flexible than his predecessor and characterized his period as a player as aggressive. In addition, De Zerbi had also been annoyed by all the transfer rumors: in recent days he has been linked to Internazionale, Chelsea and Tottenham.
Both trainers did not want to spend too many words on it afterwards. “I’m used to treating everyone with respect, on and off the pitch,” De Zerbi told BBC. “I respect everyone, especially other coaches, but I don’t like it when people treat me disrespectfully. That was the case here. It was a personal situation and I told him what I thought about it.”
