The assistant referee who allegedly elbowed Liverpool’s Andy Robertson at half-time during their Premier League draw with Arsenal will not be appointed for matches in the future until an investigation is complete, the referee’s body has said.
In widely shared television footage, Robertson approached the official, Constantine Hatzidakis, to share his discontent after the half-time whistle.
The Scotland international grabbed his arm before the linesman appeared to elbow the defender near his jawline.
Robertson was booked by referee Paul Tierney in the aftermath. No action was taken at half-time, and the assistant continued to run the line in the second half, with the match ending in a dramatic 2-2 draw.
The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. (PGMOL), the body responsible for match officials across English football said in a statement on Monday: “PGMOL will not be appointing Constantine Hatzidakis to fixtures in any of the competition it serves whilst The FA investigates the incident involving the assistant referee and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at Anfield.”
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said after the game that he did not see the incident, although he had heard “something happened.”
