Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola had very little taste of Simon Hooper’s refereeing in the final minutes of the match against Tottenham on Sunday.
Manchester City and Tottenham separated with a draw (3-3) on Sunday in the Premier League. But the referee of the match Simon Hooper was at the center of the discussions.
A few seconds before the end of added time, Jack Grealish was launched deep by Erling Haaland. Hooper, who had initially left the advantage, finally whistled the foul on the Norwegian striker. The English midfielder, who was heading towards goal, was stopped short.
Wtf https://t.co/E7GKDiTZAf
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 3, 2023
Enough to arouse the anger of the Cityzens, including that of the European goleador, but also of their coach Pep Guardiola. The Spanish technician nevertheless wanted to remain measured in his comments to avoid a sanction.
“Next question, I’m not going to make a comment like Mikel Arteta (who let go after Newcastle, editor’s note). Because when you speak from the heart like Mikel did… if all managers do it, the Federation will have to stop censoring criticism. It’s difficult when you look at the image, the referee clearly decides to whistle after saying play. After the pass, he whistles. I don’t understand…” he said.
