Assistant referee resigns while PGMOL looks into Robertson’s ‘elbow’ incident | the reviewer

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Assistant Referee Konstantine Hatzidakis will not officiate any match while he is being investigated for having a visible elbow on Andy Robertson of Liverpool.

The incident occurred just after the half-time whistle during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday, and Hatzidakis appeared to have reacted after being confronted by Robertson.

A statement from Premier League refereeing body PGMOL read: “PGMOL will not appoint Constantine Hatzidakis to any of the competitions he serves while the Football Association investigates the incident involving assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield.”

And the Sky Sports cameras that focused on the confrontation showed that Hatzidakis appeared to raise his arm and communicate with Robertson, who indicated that the official had injured him. An enraged Robertson was sent off by his teammates but while he received a yellow card in the aftermath, Hatzidakis’ actions will now come under greater scrutiny.

A Sky Sports screenshot appears to show Constantine Hatzidakis communicating with Andy Robertson on the pitch. Photo: Sky Sports/Twitter/PA

“Ultimately, if he’s convicted of this, his career is in jeopardy,” Keith Hackett, the former head of PGMOL, told BBC Radio Five Live. It doesn’t have to be, because it’s in a protected environment with a lot of security.

“But he reacted in a way he shouldn’t react at the end of the day, and lo and behold we are talking about a match official and not a decision, but an action by a match official – and he clearly lost his composure.”

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, whose team is fighting Arsenal for the title, did not see the incident but said it would be “strange” if it happened the way some have described it.

“I heard it but I didn’t see it. I was watching Bayern Munich and golf,” Guardiola said ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich. “I saw the highlights after that but I didn’t.

“They told me something happened but I didn’t see the picture so I can’t comment. But it’s weird what people told me happened.”

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