Mikel Arteta will not face any repercussions from the Football Association for his criticism of refereeing standards following Arsenal’s contentious loss to Newcastle in the previous month.
Arteta was furious with the officials’ decision not to review Anthony Gordon’s goal during the Gunners’ 1-0 defeat, calling it “embarrassing and disgraceful.”
Arteta faced accusations of violating Rule E3.1, which involves bringing the sport into disrepute and could have led to a suspension. However, he has since been absolved of any wrongdoing. If he had been found guilty, no specific punishments were predetermined, but a monetary penalty or restriction from the sidelines likely would have been imposed.
The charges were dismissed by a regulatory commission, with the explanation that they were “not proven”. In the commission’s written statement, it was revealed that Arteta’s testimony stated: “The word ‘disgrace’… has a similar spelling and pronunciation to the Spanish word ‘desgracia’… However, the Spanish word carries connotations of misfortune, tragedy, or bad luck, rather than the English meaning of contempt, dishonor, or disrespect. While the English interpretation may suggest abuse or insult, this was not the intended meaning.”
The goal was awarded by referee Stuart Attwell, but Newcastle fans had to wait longer as the VAR conducted three checks. These included determining if the ball had gone out of play before Joe Willock’s cross, if Joelinton had committed a foul on Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães, and if Gordon was offside. After the match, Arteta expressed his frustration and anger, stating that the goal should not have been allowed. He also admitted to feeling embarrassed and sick about the decision.
According to the commission’s written explanation, Arteta’s emotions were heightened when he was informed by some Arsenal players that Willock, a former Arsenal player, had stated that the ball was out of play before crossing into the penalty area.
The loss put an end to Arsenal’s undefeated beginning, and Arteta continuously criticized the decision and the VAR procedure. He expressed, “It’s simply a disgrace. We have a lot on the line and have put in countless hours to compete at the top level. The amount of feedback we’ve received saying this cannot go on is embarrassing.”
The club’s statement echoed the manager’s comments, expressing full support for Mikel Arteta’s statements following the continued occurrences of unacceptable refereeing and VAR mistakes during Saturday’s match.
Arteta has stated that he will persist in voicing his concerns about the inadequate officiating. Howard Webb, the chief of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, stated afterwards that the proper procedure was followed in awarding Gordon’s goal and that VAR was correct in not overturning the on-field decision. Webb explained that there was insufficient evidence to prove that Gordon was offside when he received the ball. The VAR carefully reviewed the situation and determined that there was no clear reason to intervene and reverse the goal. Therefore, the procedure was indeed executed correctly.
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The leader of Ref Support UK, a non-profit organization that advocates for referees, shared their disapproval of the commission’s decision. Martin Cassidy stated, “I think this is just a clever argument from KC rather than a fair result. If those comments and behaviors are considered acceptable in today’s game, then referees face a challenging path.”
Cassidy reprimanded Willock for not approaching the referee if he thought the ball had gone out, and urged the FA to challenge the commission’s ruling.
Source: theguardian.com
