Andy Robertson: Assistant referee stood down while ‘elbow’ investigated
The assistant referee accused of elbowing Liverpool defender Andy Robertson has been stood down while the incident is investigated by the Football Association.
Constantine Hatzidakis was involved in a confrontation with Robertson at half-time of Sunday’s Premier League match between Liverpool and Arsenal.
Premier League referees’ body PGMOL said it would “not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competitions it serves whilst the FA investigates the incident involving the assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield.”
Hatzidakis appeared to make contact with Robertson while fending off his complaints shortly after the half-time whistle.
The Scotland defender reacted angrily and received a yellow card but the assistant referee continued to officiate for the rest of the 2-2 draw.
“Ultimately, if he is found guilty of this, his career is in jeopardy,” said former referees’ chief Keith Hackett.
“I was trying to find an excuse as to why he did it and I came up with ‘was he in fear’? He shouldn’t be, because he’s in a protected environment with plenty of security.
“But he reacted in a way that he shouldn’t have reacted at the end of the day and here we are talking about a match official and not a decision, but an action by a match official – and he’s clearly lost his composure.”
Robertson was branded “a big baby” by former Manchester United captain Roy Keane for his reaction to the flashpoint, and former ref Mark Halsey also put the blame on the Liverpool man.
“To me, it looks like Robertson goes to grab Hatzidakis, who brushes him off with his arm and catches him accidentally,” he wrote in The Sun.
“I cannot think why an assistant would throw his arms into a player’s face. Sure, from one camera angle it does not look good. But you have to ask why has Robertson gone to approach the assistant referee?”
Halsey also compared the clash to Aleksandar Mitrovic’s push on referee Chris Kavanagh, which earned the Fulham striker an eight-match ban.
“I have heard people say this is the end of the linesman’s career but, just like Aleksandar Mitrovic, it is his full-time job,” he added.
“However, if he is proven guilty and did intentionally use his elbow then he will face the same consequences as the Fulham frontman.
“Match officials are the guardians of standards and must be accountable if found guilty for that type of behaviour towards a player.”