Dhe English Football Association FA will not take any action against assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis after his elbow kick against Liverpool professional Andrew Robertson. The FA announced this after a “thorough review” of all the evidence on Thursday. This was also preceded by a conversation between Hatzidakis and Robertson.
The incident on Sunday at half-time in the Premier League game between Liverpool and Arsenal (2-2) caused a stir. Images show Hatzidakis swinging his elbow after an argument with Robertson and hitting the stunned Scot on the chin. The international immediately protested to referee Paul Tierney, who, however, showed Robertson a yellow card.
“It was certainly not my intention to touch Andy when I pulled my arm away from him and I apologize for that,” said Hatzidakis, adding: “I’m looking forward to being back in action in games soon.” Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), which is responsible for the English referees, had investigated the incident.
Liverpool coach Jürgen Klopp declined to comment on the situation after the game. “I didn’t see it,” he said. “I noticed what is supposed to have happened and I also heard that the pictures speak for themselves,” said the former Bundesliga coach.