Hackett Exclusive: Referees slammed as Southampton star avoids red card vs Burnley
Keith Hackett has blasted the inconsistency of referees after Southampton attacker Kamaldeen Sulemana avoided a red card during his side’s FA Cup defeat to Burnley.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the 22-year-old should have been shown a second yellow card for handball in that match.
Things have not gone well for Ivan Juric ever since he took charge of Southampton back in December, as the club remain rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
They were dealt another setback on Saturday (8 February) with a 1-0 loss at home to Championship side Burnley in the FA Cup, and things may have been even worse had Sulemana been appropriately punished.
Kamaldeen Sulemana survives red card claim as Southampton suffer another defeat
Midway through the second half of that game, Sulemana – who joined Southampton from Rennes in the 2023 January transfer window – had been booked for diving after going down inside the Burnley area.
Not long after, it looked as though the Ghana international would receive a second yellow card for handling the ball.
As he attempted to close down possession near to the Burnley are, the winger reached his arm out, with his hand blocking an attempted pass.
With the ball then running loose, it was eventually put behind by an opposition defender, and rather than penalise the winger, a corner was awarded to Southampton.
That ensured Sulemana avoided giving away a free-kick or receiving a second yellow, something that has left Hackett stunned over the way handball laws are applied in the game.
Keith Hackett hits out at referees over handball management
Speaking to Football Insider about the decision not to penalise Sulemana or give him a second yellow card, the former referee said:
“He’s committed a handling offence. Because the referee’s not given a free-kick, he’s not going to get a second yellow.
“But there’s a handling offence, nothing’s been given, had it been given he would have received a second yellow card.
“So the referee’s decison not to give a free-kick has saved the player from a red card. On holding and pulling, and the illegal use of the hand and arm for handball, they’re all over the place!
“There’s no consistency that we’re seeing from referees!”
For Southampton the end of their FA Cup campaign means their focus will now shift to salvaging some pride from their Premier League season.
The Saints are currently bottom of the table with just nine points from 24 league games, leaving them ten points from safety.