Liverpool news: Ex-Fifa official wants referee banned after ‘totally unacceptable’ Mohamed Salah comments
Keith Hackett has slammed referee Victor Gomes for his “totally unacceptable” comments about Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Fifa and Premier League official for the 39-year-old referee to “try and gain notoriety” off of Salah.
Gomes came under scrutiny after offering Salah his whistle and cards during the first half of the final of the African Cup of Nations (6 February).
In an interview with Football Insider (7 February), Hackett described the referees actions as “petulant and arrogant.”
As quoted by the Liverpool Echo (11 February), Gomes defended the way in which he handled Salah in the AFCON final.
He claimed referees need to “evolve” in the way that they officiate games and not “stick to the old adage.”
Hackett called for Gomes to be prohibited from officiating games involving Salah in light of recent developments.
“Firstly, I don’t think any referee should offer Salah the whistle and the cards,” he told Football Insider‘s Dylan Childs.
“That is not the appropriate action of a senior, top referee.
“If Salah is being unacceptable you caution him for dissent. That is the answer.
“Then, to publish and try and gain notoriety on the back of a player and team is totally unacceptable.
“Those comments, coupled with the selfie with Sadio Mane mean he cannot referee those two teams or players again, otherwise his integrity is in question.”
In other news, an ex-Premier League referee has spotted new time-wasting tactics being used to ‘burn’ Liverpool as Fabinho fumes.