‘Let’s get this hatred out of football’: Mikel Arteta on threats against referee
‘Let’s get this hatred out of football’: Mikel Arteta on threats against referee
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Mikel Arteta has urged football to prioritise changing the culture that surrounds the game and eradicate “hatred”, saying: “We don’t want it, we don’t need it, it can only damage our sport, so let’s get it out.”. Arteta’s plea was made after police opened an investigation regarding the threats directed at the referee Michael Oliver, whose home was placed under police guard after he sent off Myles Lewis-Skelly for a tackle on Matt Doherty at Wolves on Saturday.
![[The moment Myles Lewis-Skelly fouled Matt Doherty to earn a controversial red card in Arsenal’s win at Wolves last weekend.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e5ea623dc2b17507744c4033d197218721165d70/0_136_2266_1359/master/2266.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
The decision was reviewed and upheld by the video assistant referee, Darren England, but Arsenal appealed and the red card was overturned on Tuesday, within hours of the evidence being presented to the Football Association. Confirmation came through as Lewis-Skelly slept on the team’s flight to their final game of the Champions League first phase, against Girona, with an independent commission upholding the claim of wrongful dismissal.
Arteta, however, said it was time to act after Oliver and his family had received threats and abuse that the Professional Game Match Officials Limited called “abhorrent”. The Arsenal manager said: “Every time I talk about this topic [my view] is the same, regardless of whether it is a player or a coach or a referee. We have to really work harder to try to eradicate that part of the game that brings nothing but bad stuff, bad taste and it makes people’s lives more difficult.”.
