Premier League make decision after ‘damaging’ Man City & Arsenal claim – Borson
Premier League referees must be blocked from officiating outside of England after claims of bias against Michael Oliver following the Manchester City game against Arsenal.
That is the view of former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson, who exclusively told Football Insider the Premier League and PGMOL may need to pay the referees more money because it’s “extremely damaging” to have allegations against an official.
There were suggestions online before and after the game between Man City and Arsenal that Oliver shouldn’t have been selected to officiate the match due to connections to Etihad chiefs.
The referee took charge of a match in the United Arab Emirates in September last year, with the Premier League champions being owned by Sheikh Mansour – the vice-president of the Middle Eastern country.
Oliver sent off Arsenal star Leandro Trossard in the 2-2 draw against Man City after handing the attacker a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.
Premier League must pay officials more after Man City and Arsenal situation
Although Borson believes there is no conflict of interest, he insisted the Premier League needs to make a decision about its officials refereeing overseas.
He told Football Insider: “It’s really about what the league want to do in terms of perceived conflict as opposed to real conflict.
“The idea that we can’t trust the referee because he’s refereed occasionally in Abu Dhabi, I think is a conspiracy theory and undermines the honesty of our referees.
“I think it’s an unfair allegation, but in this kind of world that we live, where people are bound to make these jumps and exaggerate connections and make claims about bias, then it presumably would be safer for the Premier League to say to the referees they simply can’t referee outside of England across a given year and they are exclusive.
“If that means the Premier League and PGMOL have to pay more money to the referees, then so be it because it’s extremely damaging to have allegations of bias in the referees.
“We have got enough issues with the quality of refereeing that to throw in there an allegation of basis, which I’m sure is baseless, is just not helpful.
“I guess it comes down again to a financial decision and I think it’s one that needs to be taken and prohibited.
“But it is a conspiracy theory and it’s clearly nonsense.”
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