Keith Hackett: PGMOL 'directive' suspected after Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola incidents

03/25/2025 08:00 AM

The PGMOL does not have the “leadership” required to address post-match confrontations between managers and referees after incidents involving Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola, Keith Hackett has said.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that finding a solution to those issues should not be difficult.

It has been a tough season for officials, with a number of decisions coming in for some considerable scrutiny during games.

Another issue that has developed for referees recently, is the heated debates with managers they have been faced with at full-time in matches.

Arne Slot, Pep Guardiola clash with match officials

One such example of these clashes occurred after the Merseyside derby, when Liverpool boss Slot was sent off by Michael Oliver following Everton’s last minute equaliser last month.

The 2-2 draw between Man City and Brighton at the Etihad on March 8 also led to a similar incident, when Pep Guardiola confronted Simon Hooper on the pitch at full time.

On this occasion the Spaniard managed to avoid punishment, having been unhappy after Jeremy Doku had been booked for diving.

Hackett has previously suggested in response to those incidents that referees should immediately depart the field of play at full time to avoid the risk of such situations developing.

However, he is unconvinced that the PGMOL, currently led by Howard Webb, will not make moves to direct officials to take such action.

‘Liverpool, Man City incidents may not provoke change’ – Keith Hackett

After being asked by Football Insider if he expects referees to be instructed to leave the pitch quicker at the end of games to avoid clashes with managers, Hackett said:

“To me at the moment at the PGMOL there’s a lack of leadership and direction. It doesn’t need a directive, you sit in a room with the referees and say ‘look guys, how can we avoid this? How can we avoid conflict at the end of the game.

“Then you discuss how you’re going to do it. There are simple things in refereeing that avoid conflict, and that is, do not go eye to eye contact with the individual that’s having a word.

“Look in another direction, and yes you’ll be accused of arrogance, but just say ‘as I’ve said before, I’ll see you in the dressing 30 minutes after the game’.

“So I think that’s (on the) Premier League to say ‘look to improve relationships on the field of play, these are the areas where we need to review and see if we can avoid conflict.’

“For me I think walking towards the tunnel and not waiting to shake hands with everybody is something to do.

“I smile every time they line up with them before the game and they go through this handshake, because within two minutes of doing that handshake they’re having a go at each other, because that’s the nature of football.

“So it seems to me that there’s been an unofficial directive from the PGMOL to referees to clamp down when they’re getting verbally abused, either in the technical area or when they come to shake the match official in the case of Slot, who was unhappy.

“I prefer proactive officiating rather than reactive officiating so my view is quite clear: blow the whistle for the final minute of the game, now start heading for the tunnel. Don’t stand in the middle, you;’re inviting the managers to come on with the blame culture that exists in football and always has in football.”

With the next Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton on the horizon just days after the end of the internationalbreak, scrutiny will undoubtedly be on the officiating again in that match at Anfield.

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