BREAKING NEWS: FIFA compels PGMOL to issue apology over disputed penalty and red card decisions
Manchester United are reportedly seeking urgent talks with referees’ chief Howard Webb following a series of highly controversial officiating decisions this season. According to Mail Online, the club believes several major calls have gone against them unfairly in Premier League matches.
Officials at Old Trafford are said to be growing increasingly frustrated, feeling that repeated refereeing errors have directly affected results. While manager Ruben Amorim is not personally involved in the request for discussions, the club’s hierarchy is pushing for clear explanations.
United’s leadership is understood to be particularly unhappy with what they see as a pattern of officiating mistakes in their games. As a result, they want answers from Howard Webb, who previously served as a Premier League referee himself.
PGMOL have reportedly admitted that certain incidents were the result of officiating errors. One example cited by United is a late sliding tackle by former Red Devils defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka on Patrick Dorgu during their draw with West Ham, which they believe should have resulted in a second yellow card.
United were also shocked that Wolves defender Emmanuel Agbadou’s handball was not reviewed by VAR during their 4–1 victory, adding to the club’s sense that they have reached a breaking point.
Earlier in the season, Webb acknowledged to Manchester United that a refereeing error occurred in their 3–1 loss to Brentford. Amorim’s side felt defender Nathan Collins should have been sent off in that match.
Although Bruno Fernandes’ resulting penalty was saved by Caoimhín Kelleher after Collins fouled Bryan Mbeumo, United felt the defender was fortunate to remain on the pitch. Collins later escaped further punishment after another incident inside the penalty area.
Feeling hard done by, United formally wrote to PGMOL seeking clarification. Chief executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox received a response from Webb, who accepted that referee Craig Pawson and the VAR officials had made an incorrect decision.
The move to hold talks comes amid wider pressure on refereeing standards. Premier League executives have recently met with Webb to push for changes to how VAR is implemented, according to League Managers’ Association CEO Richard Bevan.
The LMA has proposed pairing referees with consistent video assistants to improve communication and decision-making, believing this could lead to greater consistency across top-flight matches.
