MANCHESTER, England (AP) – WWE-style grappling at corner kicks, manhandling of match officials, verbal abuse: Sometimes the beautiful game can take on an ugly side.
This season, at least in these early weeks, English Premier League referees are taking a stand.
The start of the new English football season has been marked with no-nonsense – some might say over-zealous – officiating that has got fearful defenders re-evaluating their trade and penalty-taking strikers licking their lips at the opportunities coming their way.
One referee awarded two penalties in the same game for pushing and holding in the penalty area at a corner kick. Another has yellow-carded a player for sarcastically applauding a decision. Diego Costa, Chelsea’s typically irate striker, has already been booked for aggressively approaching a referee. After two rounds of fixtures, seven penalties have been awarded already, compared to three at the same stage last season.
It’s not uncommon for referees to put down markers early in the season or at the start of a major international tournament. Before too long, they have eased off.