Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis seemed to “pour fuel” into the fiery atmosphere at Anfield after the 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Arsenal.
WhenrefereePaul Tierney blew the whistle to end the first half, defender Andy Robertson walked over to assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis as if to explain something. Listen or not, but this assistant jerked his hand, elbowed the home team’s Scottish star, and then walked away into the middle of the field.
Angered by this sudden action of the “black king”, Andy Robertson reacted violently and his teammates had to stop him to avoid a possible clash. Liverpool players turned to referee Paul Tierney to complain, however, instead of a clear explanation, Robertson also received a yellow card for his reaction.
Many TV commentators and reporters present on the pitch confirmed that Robertson loudly “accused” assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis of pulling his elbow on his neck. Captain Henderson also confirmed his teammate was jerked by the assistant referee for unknown reasons.
The Premier League Referees Association (PGMOL) said it had received a report regarding an incident between assistant referee Hatzidakis and defender Robertson. PGMOL claims they will look into all issues thoroughly. Meanwhile, English football experts expressed displeasure when witnessing Robertson being attacked by the assistant referee.
Former player Darren Bent thinks that this referee should be banned for 8 matches, like what Mitrovic (Fulham) player faced when he accidentally pushed the referee in the match against Man United. Former football player and TV commentator Chris Sutton also agreed with Darren Bent that this referee should be banned from working in some matches.
Coach Jurgen Klopp did not comment much on the situation of Robertson “beating” from referee Hatzidakis: “I know about Robertson’s incident. The photos, the video will tell it all, but I do not discuss this issue.”
