A LEADING referee’s charity has condemned Mikel Arteta’s comments following Arsenal’s loss to Newcastle on Saturday.
The Arsenal manager went on a sensational rant in his post-match press conference after feeling that Newcastle’s winning goal should never have stood.
There were three separate moments of controversy in the lead-up to the goal.
The ball looked as though it may have gone out of play in the lead-up to the goal when Joe Willock kept it in.
Many Arsenal fans also felt Gabriel was fouled in the lead-up by Joelinton and there was a tight offside call on Anthony Gordon.
Arteta said the decision to let Gordon’s goal count left him “embarrassed” at the standard of refereeing in the country before labelling it an “absolute disgrace”.
Arsenal then went on to release a statement condemning the level of refereeing in the Premier League in support of the club’s manager.
But the CEO of Ref Support UK, Martin Cassidy, says it is the behaviour of Arteta that is an even bigger disgrace.
Cassidy told The Telegraph: “[Arsenal] would have more credibility if they addressed and made a public statement about the unacceptable behaviour of their players or manager.
“Mikel Arteta‘s touchline behaviour is the worst in the Premier League and his behaviour is a large part of the problem in football. He has become a Mercedes version of Neil Warnock.
“His behaviour and comments, that now appear to be supported by Arsenal as a club, is very worrying for me and the game in general.
“This statement [by Arsenal], in my opinion, is nothing other than an infantile moan.”
Cassidy says the behaviour of the likes of Arteta and Jurgen Klopp on the touchline directly correlates to the rise in the abuse of referees at grassroots level.
The charity says that abuse is particularly bad for grassroots referees under the age of 18.
Cassidy was joined in his condemnation of Arteta’s behaviour following the game by Sky Sports pundits’ Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
Both tweeted their disapproval at the rant and subsequent statement by the club.
Carragher tweeted: “The Arsenal statement and complaints from their manager about the officials and VAR, on the Newcastle goal, is way over the top!”
And Neville echoed his calls when he tweeted: “Arsenal and Liverpool’s statements are wrong. Do it privately. Managers and players make far more mistakes than refs!”
