Ex-Fifa official: Antonio Conte may be set for private Premier League meeting after Tottenham controversy
Keith Hackett has claimed Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could be set for a behind-the-scenes meeting with the Premier League over refereeing standards.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee suggested the balance between letting the game flow and keeping it under control may be changed next season.
As quoted by football.london on Sunday (17 April) Conte, 52, wants the Premier League to protect players better.
It comes after Matty Cash went unpunished for a challenge that ended Matt Doherty’s season as Spurs beat Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend (9 April).
“There’s a finite balance between keeping the game flowing and controlling the game,” Hackett told Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“Therefore, my recommendation is that Conte has the ability to contact the league and the PGMOL to express his concerns. He can talk to Richard Bevon at the LMA. In pre-season he can put his concerns forward.
“There is a correlation between the number of players injured and the challenges that are being allowed to go and the ones that are not.
“Maybe there is too much of letting the game flow and that’s where you need to come in and be protective.
“That challenge by Cash on Doherty required a sanction.
“You watch and sometimes players are resilient and can take the hits. But look at Man City, Kyle Walker and Kevin De Bruyne are struggling. It impacts the league and it all adds up.
“Yes we’ve got big squads and next season the answer is the five substitutes.”
In other news, Kieran Maguire has revealed Tottenham have been ‘blinded by the cheque’ as a sponsor goes bust.