Samuel Barrott to ‘be more sympathetic’ after wild Rodrigo Muniz scenes
Samuel Barrott could have been more understanding of Rodrigo Muniz’s celebrations as Fulham equalised against Brighton, according to Keith Hackett.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that, while the referee was following the letter of the law, his sympathy towards the game should not be seen as a weakness.
Muniz, who has long been linked with a Fulham exit, was booked after scoring an equaliser in the sixth minute of added time at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, 16 August, much to fans’ disappointment.
Matt O’Riley had opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 55 minutes, with Georginio Rutter being brought down by Sander Berge, and the Cottagers were struggling to create much on the afternoon.
Rodrigo Muniz’s goal sparks incredible scenes at the Amex
This article contains exclusive comments from ex-PGMOL chief, FIFA official and former professional referee Keith Hackett.
Due to the speculation around Muniz’s future at Craven Cottage, the celebrations after the goal were, understandably, emotional, with the striker being thrown a Fulham scarf, which he lifted up high.
That sent a clear message to the fanbase about where he sees himself for the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but it is now claimed that Barrott failed to deal with the situation positively, instead booking the player.
While Hackett emphasises that the referee was only following the rules, he also suggested that a calmer approach could have been taken to avoid punishing Muniz for his incredible celebrations.
Samuel Barrott to take positive approach after Fulham punishment
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “The yellow card, simply, will be for delaying the kick-off. It is a cautionable offence, and Barrott obviously felt that he was taking too long.
“I always find this slightly amusing because, with some goals, VAR decides to take a look, and we stand around for three or four minutes determining if it can stand.
“Can you see the loss of balance? I’d like referees to be more sympathetic towards the game because that shouldn’t be seen as a weakness.
“Why didn’t he just go over to the player and tell him to restart the game? Why not take a proactive approach, rather than standing off, waiting and waiting, and giving a yellow card?
“He’s right in law, don’t get me wrong. But what I’m questioning is the need for proactive management from the referee to prevent a yellow card.”