Former PGMOL chief joins VAR critics after Giovanni Lo Celso gaffe - 'It's not a difficult decision'

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Malik Ouzia @MalikOuzia_22 February 2020

Former head of referees Keith Hackett has added his voice to the growing criticism of VAR after the farcical circumstances in which Tottenham midfielder Giovanni Lo Celso escaped a red card during Saturday’s defeat to Chelsea.

Hackett, who was a Fifa listed referee for a decade between 1981 and 1991, served as the general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board after retiring from the game.

The same body was forced to admit it had make a mistake in failing to dismiss Lo Celso for a horrendous challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta, with video assistant David Coote initially telling on-field referee Michael Oliver that no punishment was necessary. Before the game had even finished, however, officials at Stockley Park admitted to the error.

Ultimately, the decision had no impact on the result, with Chelsea holding on to win 2-1, but the embarrassing blunder has been criticised by players, coaches and pundits alike, and Hackett tweeted: “Come on David Coote VAR. That is a red card every day.”

“It’s not a difficult decision,” he added. “Lo Celso should have received a red card. Now I want to know who is the person at the centre of the PGMOL statement. I suggest that he goes to theifab.com and updated himself on [Laws of the Game].”

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