Constantine Hatzidakis to face no FA action after assistant referee appeared to elbow Andy Robertson in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Arsenal last weekend; Hatzidakis says he has apologised to the defender and now looks "forward to returning to officiating matches"
Friday 14 April 2023 10:26, UK
The FA says it will be taking no further action against Constantine Hatzidakis after the match official appeared to elbow Andy Robertson during Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Arsenal last weekend.
The incident occurred as the players were leaving the pitch at half-time during the Premier League meeting at Anfield, with Robertson approaching Hatzidakis before he then complained of being caught by the official.
No action was taken at the time but PGMOL, the match officials' body, said Hatzidakis would not officiate until an investigation had been concluded.
That investigation has now taken place, with the FA saying: "We have thoroughly reviewed all of the evidence in relation to the recent incident at Anfield involving the Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson and match official Constantine Hatzidakis, and we will be taking no further action.
"Our comprehensive process involved reviewing detailed statements from Liverpool and PGMOL, as well as multiple angles of video footage, in relation to both the incident and its surrounding circumstances."
In a statement released through PGMOL, Hatzidakis revealed he had apologised to Robertson, who was given a yellow card by referee Paul Tierney for his complaints after the incident.
"I fully assisted the FA with their investigation and have discussed the matter directly with Andy Robertson during an open and positive conversation," said Hatzidakis.
"It was certainly not my intention to make any contact with Andy as I pulled my arm away from him and for that I have apologised.
"I look forward to returning to officiating matches."
Speaking on Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "It's now dealt with and really well in the end. I wasn't aware of it during the game, only after.
"I spoke to Robbo and all the other guys, not to the assistant. I think it's dealt with really well."
After the game, Ref Support UK said Hatzidakis should be held to account if he was found to have committed wrongdoing, but said the rules need changing to stop players from crowding officials.
Martin Cassidy, the chief executive, said: "There are no clear boundaries, therefore we believe there should be an exclusion zone of two metres around match officials to prevent aggressive contact.
"If this zone is breached the referee can issue an in-game sanction.
"That said, match officials are the guardian of standards and must also be held accountable if found guilty of similar behaviour towards a player or any participant of the game.
"Any sanction issued to a match official must reflect the same sanctions issued to player and participant."
Watching the incident at half-time, Roy Keane questioned whether Robertson, whose side were trailing 2-1 at the time, actually grabbed the assistant referee first before the alleged elbow happened.
"I've not seen anything like it, really. But Robertson... does he grab the linesman first?" Keane said in the Sky Sports studio.
"I'm not sure. But Robertson's complaining. He should be more worried about his defending.
"I've watched Robertson a number of times and he is a big baby. Just get on with the game and concentrate on your defending. He does grab the linesman first."
Speaking to Sky Sports News about the coming together between Hatzidakis and Robertson earlier this week, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher said: "I have never seen an incident like this at any level.
"I've had the misfortune to have read about some of my colleagues who have been part of some unsavoury incidents.
"But this is so unusual."
However, there have been other clashes between players and officials this season, with Aleksandar Mitrovic being handed an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United last month.
The FA has appealed the punishment handed to Mitrovic - who was sent off by Kavanagh - as they want a stronger sanction handed down to the striker.
Last month also saw an incident involving Bruno Fernandes and an assistant referee during United's 7-0 defeat at Liverpool, with the midfielder appearing to nudge the official in the back as he tried to retrieve the ball.
The FA reviewed the incident but decided not to take action.
