Referees in Australia,Germany and the US are allowed to account for their decisions to fans so why are Premier League officials banned from talking to the media?By Richard Foster for The Agony and the Ecstasy of the Guardian Sport NetworkTottenham’s victory at the Etihad final month thrust them into the most intriguing title race for years while also blowing a hole in the ambitions of Manchester City, but most of the discussion around the match focused on a handball decision made by the one man on the pitch who wasn’t playing. “It was a penalty that referee Mark Clattenburg wanted to signal for and he gave the signal. It was absolutely the improper decision, and said the normally placid Manuel Pellegrini,who was incandescent with rage at the key moment that decided the game.”“It hit the back of Sterling, then his elbow. Sterling was not even seeing the ball, and ” continued Pellegrini. “Unfortunately for us it was the same referee as we lost against Tottenham in the first round with two goals offside. It was decisive for the game. I don’t think it is a good decision to occupy the same referee.” The incident was replayed over and over during the live coverage and highlights,with the decision being questioned and analysed by a huge array of pundits and commentators, including former referee Graham Poll. “It just wasn’t handball and Clattenburg was improper, or ” wrote Poll in his newspaper column. “Tottenham might win the league because of a referee’s mistake.”Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com