Wolverhampton head coach Gary O’Neill was suspended for one match for insulting referees after a 1-2 defeat by West Ham on April 6.
O’Neill was furious that Tony Harrington’s refereeing team cancelled out Max Kilman’s goal in the 99th minute, although it could have saved Wolverhampton a draw.
VAR referee Timo Robinson recommended Harrington to watch replays, which showed that Tavada Chireva blocked West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, which means his offside was not passive.
O’Neill called this decision “one of the worst I’ve ever seen”, after the match he went to the referee’s locker room to sort things out.
O’Neill agreed to the accusations of foul language made by the FA, as a result of which he was disqualified for one match and fined 8,000 pounds.
Thus, O’Neill will not be able to attend the match on Saturday, when Wolves travel to Manchester City.
Tags:
- Gary O’Neill suspended
- Wolverhampton Wanderers
- West Ham
- Tony Harrington
- Max Kilman
- VAR referee Timo Robinson
- Tavada Chireva
- Lukasz Fabianski
- Manchester City
Summary:
Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Gary O’Neill was suspended for one match and fined £8,000 for insulting referees after a 1-2 defeat by West Ham on April 6. O’Neill was angry that a goal by Max Kilman in the 99th minute was disallowed by referee Tony Harrington, even though VAR referee Timo Robinson recommended that Harrington review the replay. The replay showed that Tavada Chireva blocked West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, meaning that his offside was not passive. O’Neill called the decision “one of the worst I’ve ever seen” and went to the referee’s locker room after the match to argue with Harrington. O’Neill admitted to using foul language to the FA, which resulted in his suspension and fine. He will miss Wolves’ match against Manchester City on Saturday.
Additional notes:
- This incident highlights the ongoing debate about the use of VAR in football. Some people believe that VAR is essential to ensure fair play, while others believe that it is ruining the flow of the game.
- O’Neill’s behavior was unprofessional and he has rightly been punished. However, it is understandable that he was frustrated by the decision to disallow Kilman’s goal, which could have cost his team a point.
- This incident is a reminder of the pressure that football managers are under. They are expected to win every game and they are often criticized for their actions, both on and off the pitch.