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The governing body of English football’s referees, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), has issued an apology to Liverpool following a controversial decision in their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham. The apology comes after a goal scored by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz was disallowed due to an offside call, and the PGMOL has admitted a “significant human error” was made during the game.
The incident occurred in the 34th minute of the match when Luis Diaz scored what appeared to be a legitimate goal. However, the assistant referee raised the offside flag, and a quick VAR check confirmed the decision to disallow the goal. This decision proved to be pivotal as Tottenham took the lead just two minutes later.
The controversy arose as still images of the incident seemed to show that Tottenham defender Cristian Romero had played Diaz onside. Despite the acknowledgment of a “clear and obvious factual error” by the PGMOL, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expressed frustration, questioning the utility of the apology, as it wouldn’t change the outcome of the match or earn Liverpool any points.
The apology highlights the ongoing debate and challenges surrounding VAR technology in football and the need for greater accuracy and consistency in its application to ensure fairness in the game.