Referee Michael Oliver found himself at the heart of controversy after his decision to agree with the assistant referee’s decision to rule Virgil van Dijk’s goal against Manchester City out for offside during Liverpool’s 3-0 loss at the Etihad.
Andy Robertson was judged to have been standing in the way of Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the Premier League’s explanation stating the Scottish defender made ‘an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper’. That decision caused outrage online, as Robertson didn’t appear to be blocking the ‘keeper in any way, and simply ducked to allow the ball into the net.
For years, fans have accused Oliver of having a grudge against the club, citing an incident in the same fixture in 2024, as Jeremy Doku wasn’t penalised for a kick on Alexis Mac Allister inside the penalty area. Adding fuel to the fire, Oliver has never sent off a Manchester City player. But did you also know that he’s banned from refereeing matches involving two English clubs?
Two Teams Michael Oliver Cannot Officiate
Originating from Ashington, Northumberland, Oliver embarked on his refereeing career at the young age of 14, rapidly ascending the ranks before joining the National List of Referees in 2007. He made history in August 2010 when he became the youngest-ever Premier League referee, presiding over a match between Birmingham and Blackburn Rovers at just 25 years and 182 days old.
But such are his Geordie roots, the 40-year-old is not allowed to oversee Newcastle United games. For the same reasons, he is also not allowed to officiate Sunderland games. “We have to declare if we have an allegiance to any club or if a family member works at a club. You can’t do any match involving that team, and I can’t do Sunderland, either, for obvious reasons,” he said in an interview, per the Express.
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Keith Hackett, ex-chief of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), explained: “At the beginning of every season, the referees’ background information is audited.
“They complete a form that includes who they support, the history of if they’ve played the game and with the addresses where they are residing. That gives you a picture that comes into use when you’re appointing. It’s about ensuring, for example, you wouldn’t appoint a Sheffield-based ref for a Sheffield team.”
Post-match discussion saw Oliver come under heavy fire on social media for his decision not to overturn the on-field decision. In fact, Liverpool have even decided to express their ‘serious concerns’ towards PGMOL following the controversial incident.
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