As Liverpool and Arsenal battled it out for the split of points on Sunday (2-2) as part of the 30th day of the England championship, one of the touch judges was awarded a zero point, which could prove to be serious consequences for the rest of his career in the elite. Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis, suspected of elbowing a Liverpool player, will be suspended until an investigation establishes the facts, the body governing professional arbitration in football announced on Monday. English.
The extremely rare incident occurred at halftime of the match, when the players of both teams were returning to the locker room.
In images broadcast by Sky Sports, we can see linesman and Liverpool defender Andy Robertson approaching each other. The Scottish player, apparently unhappy with a refereeing decision, tries to grab Hatzidakis’ arm. The latter then raises his arm in the direction of the player and seems to elbow him on the left side.
According to a Sky reporter at the edge of the field, the Scottish captain immediately claimed that the linesman had elbowed him in the throat.
An investigation has been opened by the English Federation (FA) to shed light on this case.
In a press release, the body of professional referees officiating in English football (PGMOL) specifies on Monday that it “will no longer appoint Constantine Hatzidakis for any match in any competition whatsoever within its jurisdiction while the FA investigates this incident “. For Keith Hackett, former boss of the PGMOL interviewed at the microphone of the BBC, there is no doubt that “if he is found guilty of this, his career will be threatened”.