Newcastle United news: Ex-Fifa official fumes as new Dan Burn footage emerges via BBC
Keith Hackett has claimed Dan Burn has been done “a disservice” by the football authorities after Kai Havertz went unpunished for his elbow on the Newcastle United defender.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Premier League and Fifa official insisted Havertz, 22, got away with “a nasty one” when Newcastle met Chelsea in the Premier League (13 March).
Referee David Coote and VAR official John Brooks decided against sending off Havertz for an elbow on Burn at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.
The Chelsea striker only received a caution after the altercation, a decision that proved decisive as he went on to score the only goal of the game.
As shown on BBC’s Football Focus (26 March), Dan Burn still has a mark next to his eye from the collision.
When asked for his retrospective thoughts on the incident, Hackett told Football Insider: “It was a nasty one.
“When you look at it you think, ‘Did Havertz get away with it?’ The answer is yes. Is that right?
“Dan Burn is not a player who overreacts. He’s as tough as old boots.
“I think the game did him and Newcastle a disservice in the way in which it was handled and the outcome.”
As quoted by the Chronicle (13 March), Havertz justified his actions at the time by saying “you have to use arms to jump” against a player of Burn’s size.
He added: “I can say sorry because I saw he was hurt and feel bad, but you cannot tell me I did this on purpose.”
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