Liverpool news: Ex-Premier League referee issues ‘unbelievable’ Mohamed Salah claim after ‘absolutely crazy’ reveal
Mohamed Salah is not awarded many fouls for Liverpool because his “unbelievable” ability can make referees look like a “complete fool”, according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee delivered his verdict after Jurgen Klopp highlighted Salah’s “crazy” free-kick record.
According to research from Paul Tomkins earlier this month (6 March), the 29-year-old is fouled once every 120 minutes whereas Jack Grealish receives a free-kick less than every 20 minutes, based on data from the 2019-20 season.
As quoted by This is Anfield last Tuesday (15 March), Klopp claimed this was “absolutely crazy” as Salah is “constantly” fouled.
“The difference here is Jack Grealish stops and goes down but Salah continues,” Hackett told Football Insider‘s Connor Whitley.
“In lost of incidents when Salah has been fouled, the referee applies the advantage. You can’t have both. Once he applies the advantage that’s it.
“This is where statistics can be flawed. There are only stats where a foul is awarded, they are not recording a stat where an advantage is played.
“I do think Salah gets fouled but he’s got this unbelievable ability, strength and balance. When I refereed players like Maradona, Platini and all those, you had to hold the whistle back otherwise they make you look like a complete fool.
“You could blow for a foul on Salah and all of a sudden he’s put the ball in the back of the net, he’s that good of a player.
“I get the point, it is surprising he gets that number of fouls but it’s because there are a lot of advantages played because he wants to play the game.
“It’s only in the penalty area when he goes down because he wants a penalty.
“If Klopp’s concerned about the number of free-kicks not being awarded then maybe he should tell him not to go down.”
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