FA must be tough to maintain football's integrity after assistant elbow shame

10 April 2023 , 14:53

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The FA can't afford to be lienient on Constantine Hatzidakis (Image: PA)

If the FA truly feel they must make a stand against role models setting the worst example for football, then they have a big decision to make over Constantine Hatzidakis.

Barely 24 hours ago, he wasn’t even a household name in his own household. Now, he is known to just about every football fan across the country... including the kids who are supposed to be swayed by these bad examples.

Many say the Football Association were right to act so strongly, with a severe eight-game ban for Aleksandar Mitrovic when he pushed referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham’s FA Cup visit to Old Trafford. That was for a push, and apparently because he was in a position of influence, with the utmost standards of behaviour expected from him.

Well, what about Hatzidakis, the senior assistant referee who has officiated at the highest level in European competition, and international matches, as well as being a regular in the Premier League. He was appointed because of his apparent standards, both to the regulations of the game, and his professional approach on the pitch.

If a push on a referee is deemed to be worthy of an eight-game ban, then what is the punishment for an apparent elbow into the face of a professional footballer from someone who is supposed to uphold the laws AND the spirit of the game?

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Surely, if the FA want to truly set an example, then they have to set the highest standards for those who actually impose their laws and regulations, who decide on what the spirit of the game actually means?

Constantine Hatzidakis appeared to elbow Andy Robertson on Sunday (Sky Sports)

What did you make of the elbow incident? Let us know in the comments below!

We are already hearing suggestions that the assistant referee reacted because he felt he was about to be confronted by Robertson. But would that excuse stand up if the player had done the same to the official?

The FA will open a can of worms if they don’t act with ruthless authority. Every player could cite the threat from an official if the assistant referee goes unpunished. It is a big decision but really, there is only one they can make.

And that is even before we consider the history between Hatzidakis, the referee he often works with Paul Tierney, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. There was real bad blood between when Klopp was booked for protesting animatedly during the game at Spurs in December 2021... when Robertson was dismissed.

Is it merely a coincidence this occurred now? Or is it how is certainly looks, that there is a hangover from that game, with Klopp making clear his distrust of the officials, and presumably the officials no longer trusting the Reds boss in return?

If there is even a hint of that, it opens a huge issue that could undermine the very fabric of the game. If officials can have such a visible - and physical - problem with players, then how can we ever trust games to be officiated fairly?

Something is not right from the fall-out from the Tottenham game, it smells all wrong. And that threatens to leave a stinking odour around the sport, and the bodies and officials who regulate the game of football. Tough action to remove that smell is required for the very integrity of the game.

David Maddock