Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis reportedly elbowed Andy Robertson in the throat during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal. The left-back appeared to touch the referee on his elbow and say something at half time, but he responded by elbowing the player in the face.
Before the game ended, the PGMOL released a statement saying they would investigate the matter. And in the meantime, he would not be assigned any matches to officiate.
Constantine Hatzidakis under investigation for elbowing Andy Robertson
‘PGMOL is aware of an incident involving assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at half-time during the Liverpool v Arsenal fixture at Anfield,’ the official’s body stated.
‘We will review the matter in full once the game has concluded.’
‘We will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competitions it serves while the FA investigates the incident,’ a statement read.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was asked about the incident, and he revealed that he had not seen it live. Klopp refused to comment on the issue later on in the press conference, since he didn’t have firsthand knowledge of it.
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic was banned for eight games after his violent conduct with the referee. And given that strict standards apply to players, the officials should also be subject to the same restrictions. But it remains to be seen whether Hatzidakis will be allowed to officiate in the Premier League again, something that pundits clearly have doubts about.
