The Premier has suspended an assistant referee for allegedly elbowing Andy Robertson

Assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis will not take part in any Premier League matches while he is investigated by the FA an apparent shove at Liverpool player Andy Robertson.

The incident happened just after the half-time whistle during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday. Sky Sports cameras captured the clash and showed Hatzidakis seemingly raising his hand and making contact with Robertson, who complained he had been hit by the referee.

Robertson, enraged, was seized by his comrades; received a yellow card, but Hatzidakis’ action will be under greater scrutiny. The Premier League’s refereeing body, PGMOL, has confirmed it is sending the linesman to the fridge. “PGMOL will not name Constantine Hatzidakis for matches in any of the competitions in which he participates while the FA investigates an incident involving assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield,” the agency said.

Controversy in England!

Pushing the assistant referee prescription
to Andrew Robertson of Liverpool. pic.twitter.com/h0nt8pHM7U

— Xavi (@XaviSol_) April 9, 2023

Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL, told BBC Radio Five Live that his “career will be in jeopardy” if he is eventually found guilty. “I tried to find an excuse to explain why he did it and it dawned on me: was he afraid? She shouldn’t have it, because it is in a very safe, protected environment,” he emphasized.

But he reacted the way he shouldn’t have, and this is about the judge, not the decision, but the judge’s action, and it’s clear that he lost his composure, he added.

Another former top referee, Mark Halsey, focused on Robertson’s behavior and believes a penalty is the most likely punishment for Hatzidakis if he is found to have committed a foul. In his article about SunHalsey draws a parallel with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, recently banned for eight games for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh.

“It seems to me that Robertson will grab Hatzidakis, who brushes his arm and catches him by accident. I can’t imagine why an assistant would punch a player in the face. It sure doesn’t look good from the camera angle. But you have to wonder why Robertson approached the assistant referee,” he said.

“I heard people say that this is the end of the linesman’s career, but, like Aleksandar Mitrović, this is his permanent job. However, if he is found guilty and that he deliberately used his elbow, he will face the same consequences as the Fulham striker. Referees are the guardians of the rules and must be held accountable if they are found guilty of this behavior towards a player, he continued.