This is the referee version of Aleksandar Mitrovic. The assistant referee accused of elbowing Andy Robertson is not assigned to play during the investigation.
Liverpool drew 2-2 with Arsenal in the 30th round of the English Premier League (EPL) in the 2022-23 season held at Anfield in Liverpool, England at 0:30 am (Korean time) on the 10th.
Robertson was hit at halftime. Right after the whistle blew at the end of the first half, Robertson approached Konstantin Hajdakis, who was the assistant referee, and grabbed his arm while saying something.
Here, the behavior of assistant referee Hajidakis became a problem. Assistant referee Haji Dakis stretched out his arm to shake off Robertson, and his elbow struck Robertson near the chin. Robertson immediately touched his mouth and then approached assistant referee Hajidakis to protest vehemently.
Afterwards, some players, including Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, also reacted sharply towards assistant referee Hajidakis, and referee Paul Tierney took out a yellow card for Robertson without delay. As a result, the players expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision even more fiercely, but the situation was settled with the mediation of the Liverpool coach.
After the game, this spread far and wide. Britain’s Sky Sports, which broadcast the match, said it was “clearly agitated”, even before assistant referee Hajidakis “elbowed Robertson in the neck”.
Local authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. England’s Professional Match Refereeing Organization (PGMOL) said in an official statement: “We are aware of an incident in which assistant referee Hajidakis and Liverpool defender Robertson were involved after the end of the first half during the Liverpool v Arsenal match at Anfield. We will review it,” he said.
In a subsequent statement, “PGMOL will not assign assistant referee Hajidakis to the match schedule while the English Football Association investigates the incident.” 안전놀이터
If Robertson was really struck by an elbow, a considerable amount of time suspension is expected. On the 20th of last month, Fulham’s Mitrović was punished with an eight-game suspension for pushing and pointing at the referee while protesting against the referee’s decision in the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United.
Assistant referee Hajidakis could face a similar penalty. Former EPL referee Mark Halsey argued through England’s ‘The Sun’ that “if assistant referee Hajidakis pushed Robertson with his elbow, he should be punished severely.”