It’s business as usual for Michael Oliver who, despite the ongoing Arsenal controversy, has been assigned Champions League duties.
The Premier League referee faced backlash over his choice to show Myles Lewis-Skelly a red card in Arsenal‘s victory against Wolves before VAR deemed that the tackle on Matt Doherty was ‘serious foul play’.
Oliver, 39, has since been bombarded with abuse and death threats online. In response, both the Premier League and PGMOL have come out in support of the official.
A statement released by the Premier League declared: “The Premier League strongly condemns the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver. No official should be subject to any form of abuse. We will continue to support Michael, PGMOL and all investigations.”
Furthermore, the PGMOL issued a statement condemning the abuse: “We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver following the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal fixture. No official should be subject to any form of abuse, let alone the abhorrent attacks aimed at Michael and his family over the past 24 hours.
“The police are aware, and a number of investigations have commenced. We are supporting Michael, and all those affected, and are determined to tackle this unacceptable behaviour. Sadly, this is not the first time a match official has been forced to deal with threats in recent times. We will continue to support all investigations.”
Despite the controversy, Oliver is set to continue his duties in the coming week. UEFA has confirmed that he’ll be taking charge of the Champions League encounter between Atalanta and Barcelona on Wednesday evening.
Oliver will be joined by fellow Premier League officials Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring as assistant referees, while Andrew Madley will serve as the fourth official.
As for the handling of the VAR, Australia’s Jarred Gillett will take the helm alongside assistant Darren England. No confirmation has been given on whether Oliver will officiate a Premier League match over the upcoming weekend.
Nevertheless, former head of Premier League referees Keith Hackett believes Oliver should take a step back from his responsibilities, telling talkSPORT: “I’d be saying to Michael Oliver, I think you need a rest and I think you’re not going to see another game in the Premier League for a couple of weeks. That’s the first action.
“Ultimately, the referee takes responsibility. I admit, and I’m very clear, that VAR did not do what VAR should do. This was a clear and obvious error. It wasn’t serious foul play.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror
