Following a contentious decision by referee Simon Hooper during Sunday’s draw with Tottenham, Manchester City faces accusations of failing to manage their players’ reactions.
The referee made a call against Jack Grealish, halting his clear goal-scoring opportunity, despite England initially possessing the ball. Erling Haaland’s strong reaction led to his storming off the pitch at full-time and posting a strongly worded response on social media.
The FA mentioned that City struggled to control their players’ responses but clarified they won’t directly penalize Haaland. Meanwhile, PGMOL is deliberating whether Simon Hooper will officiate again this week.
Although Haaland won’t face disciplinary action from the FA for his social media comments, City faces charges for not managing their players’ reactions.
During the 3-3 draw between City and Manchester United at the Etihad, the match was overshadowed by referee Simon Hooper’s late decision to halt a counterattack in the 94th minute, despite Grealish being through on goal.
Initially signaling to continue play after Haaland was fouled, Hooper then stopped play for a free-kick after Haaland got up and set up Grealish for a clear scoring opportunity. This decision incited frustration from the City team, prompting them to gather around the referee to voice their complaints.
In the aftermath, PGMOL decided not to punish referee Simon Hooper for his error during Manchester City’s match against Tottenham.
Guardiola, City’s manager, refrained from criticizing Hooper, suggesting that the referee’s decision didn’t significantly impact the match’s outcome. However, he acknowledged that Hooper might regret his choice in hindsight.
