Even some Liverpool fans were left scratching their head as to why Fabinho got away with only a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Brighton’s Evan Ferguson in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Even with a VAR official watching on, the on-field decision wasn’t overturned.
But PGMOL, the body that oversees professional referees in England, has admitted privately to news outlets that a mistake was made and that Fabinho should have been dismissed.
The Liverpool midfielder caught Ferguson above the ankle from behind that left the Brighton player needing to be helped from the pitch. He later left the Amex Stadium on crutches and it is not yet clear how long he might be sidelined for from the damage the tackle caused.
VAR has license to intervene when ‘clear and obvious’ errors are made regarding key moments like goals, penalties and potential red cards.
On this occasion there was no intervention and PGMOL has conceded that there was enough evidence to warrant the VAR official flagging it up and on-field referee David Coote reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor for a second look.
Brighton boss Robert De Zerbi described it as an ‘accident’, while Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp also highlighted what he saw as a lack of malice from Fabinho, although it doesn’t change the dangerous nature of what happened and that the response from the referee and VAR was wrong.
“There was no dynamic in it,” Klopp said.
“I just saw it once, not a second time. With dynamic movement, we can talk about a red card, but Fabinho was more lying, then he hit Ferguson. Not cool.”
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