Referee Darren England is facing repercussions for a significant error made during a Premier League match between Liverpool and Tottenham.
The error in question involved the disallowance of a goal by Luis Diaz, which was incorrectly ruled as offside. The blunder sparked controversy and led to consequences for England.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has confirmed that Darren England, who was on VAR duty during the Liverpool-Tottenham game, will be removed from officiating the Nottingham Forest vs. Brentford match. Additionally, his assistant, Dan Cook, will no longer officiate in the Chelsea vs. Fulham match.
The controversy arose when England mistakenly believed that the on-field referee, Simon Hooper, had awarded Diaz's goal. VAR's role was to verify the decision's accuracy, but England's assumption led to a hasty check and a declaration of "check complete." However, Hooper interpreted this as Diaz being offside, and England concurred with the linesman's call, resulting in the disallowed goal.
This decision had significant consequences for Liverpool, as they went on to lose the match 2-1, with Curtis Jones receiving a red card in the first half. Despite Cody Gakpo equalizing before halftime, Liverpool ended the game with only nine players after Diogo Jota received two quick yellow cards. To make matters worse, Joel Matip scored an own goal in injury time.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp commented on the PGMOL's statement, acknowledging the apologies but emphasizing that they do not change the outcomes of the matches. Klopp stressed the importance of collective efforts to make correct decisions and expressed his bewilderment about why such errors continue to occur.
