Refereeing is a tough job but we need to see fewer mistakes: Premier League managers have their say on Mail Sport’s agenda-setting Stop Abusing Referees campaign

• Premier League managers spoke up about the campaign to curb referee abuse
• Mail Sport started an agenda-setting Stop Abusing Referees campaign this week
• Have you witnessed abuse of referees? Contact [email protected] 

Premier League managers have given their verdicts on their behaviour towards match officials after Mail Sport’s agenda-setting Stop Abusing Referees campaign.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he considered it a ‘compliment’ to be named in the campaign, but said he had spent the last two decades supporting the league, the players and the referees.

Ten more English top-flight managers, including Marco Silva, Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag, have also joined the call to show football referees more respect moving forward.

MIKEL ARTETA 

Arsenal 

Two yellows this season

I saw (Mail Sport’s) article and the campaign and I saw my picture, but I took it as a compliment because I have been here 20 years and have always supported the league, the players, the referees, and have promoted the game always in the best possible manner.

We live the game with emotion. I react when a player scores a goal. I react when a player gives a ball away. I react to a physio when he wants to fly on the pitch and give treatment and I’m saying, ‘no wait’. We are constantly reacting.

We live a game that is passionate and we play to win. You have to react. Let’s sit down here in the theatre and be on mute and see if this league and this game is that interesting. It won’t be. That’s what makes it special. In a very respectful way? Yes, for sure.

Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta says he has always supported the league, the players and the referees 

Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game

PEP GUARDIOLA

Manchester City 

Three yellows

It’s getting better, this year compared to the other ones. When we behave bad, we are punished. I completely agree. They’ve got the rule, I was yellow-carded three times and suspended. Believe me, I think I’m a nice guy. I want to behave good. I represent my club that I have to defend properly. But… it’s a game, you know? You can’t just switch that on and off.

Of course I have to behave well, but sometimes you see something and you react. What would be in our game without this passion?

Maybe because I am a Latin person. When I’m sitting in front of you now I’m calm. Of course we make mistakes, they make mistakes, it’s part of life, mistakes. I agree — if we behave badly, punishment is not a problem.

MAURICIO POCHETTINO

Chelsea 

Three yellows

We all have full respect for the referees. We understand perfectly that their job is really tough.

But the problem is, sometimes you get frustrated during the game, because of the VAR or things, and you cannot go and complain to the referee or VAR. That is a problem.

I am going to try to control my emotion more, but it’s because of that. But all of the coaches respect referees because they are in a very difficult situation.

We have to be more flexible, we are too square with things. That also doesn’t help the relationship. Sometimes we are frustrated. We were talking in the last managers’ meeting that the coaches need to be more involved in decisions.

It’s not right to arrive the week before the start of the season and be told: ‘The new rules are this and this… what do you think?’

It’s not only one coach that thinks this. In which way do we want to evolve in the Premier League?

Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino believes all coaches respect referees in difficult situations

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ERIK TEN HAG

Manchester United

Three yellows

I got a ban (for three yellows) and you are not always agreeing with the refereeing, many decisions have gone against us this season.

I saw that it was 18 in the league, but still I have to accept it. The advantage is I could have a better view from the stands than the touchline. Definitely, you have to behave yourself on the touchline, even when referees make mistakes.

Erik ten Hag has been booked three times this season for dissent and will serve a touchline ban

ROBERTO DE ZERBI

Brighton

Two yellows

I’ve always respected everyone, especially referees. I’m sorry for the controversy (saying he dislikes 80 per cent of British referees), but for sure I will say my opinion, while respecting everyone. Wherever I work, I will say my opinion — I think it’s my right.

I would like to help them. I know it sounds like a joke after my words, me telling you I would like to help them doesn’t sound real.

But I have a big respect for them. I can understand the pressure and the difficulty of their work.

Roberto De Zerbi escaped an FA charge for saying dislikes ’80 per cent of England’s referees’

MARCO SILVA

Fulham 

Three yellows

Respect is really important towards all in our sport. Of course, it is an emotional game. We all know players, managers, referees as well — they are emotional too. What we want, from the referees firstly, is fewer mistakes, less influence on a result.

When you are a manager, player, or fan you always expect 100 per cent good decisions from them. But they are in a tough job and sometimes it is not easy to have everyone at the same level.

For the connection with everybody to be closer, to see less (abuse), we need less mistakes for the game to be much more nice and enjoyable to see. I don’t think we need tougher punishments because it is a waste of time.

My opinion will not change anything in this situation. You just have to adapt.

Marco Silva, who has received three yellow cards this term, says it is an emotional game

SEAN DYCHE

Everton 

One yellow

You’ve heard me reference this a lot this season, the three toughest jobs in football are the two managers and the referee. If we can all find a way of taking a breath, then that’s the best way.

There’s a lot at stake and you know my feeling on VAR, don’t mic them up, don’t make them run over to a screen. That would be a way better scenario and that would slow down the conjecture about referees. The world of social media means we’ll probably see referees mic’d up and that’ll bring even more negativity.

DAVID MOYES

West Ham United

One yellow

We all have huge respect for referees, but that should never take away from us that we’re emotional, we want to fight our own corner, we want to challenge things.

That doesn’t mean we disrespect referees. We’ve all been pretty disappointed with many decisions this year, so I don’t think we can lie down and say nothing about it.

West Ham’s David Moyes claims we have all been pretty disappointed with decisions this year

ROY HODGSON

Crystal Palace 

No yellows

The game is such an emotional experience and the referee is going to play a major part. Unfortunately emotions can get the better of you.

It’s a matter of us all attempting to put our best foot forward and present our best face to the world.

As long as I can remember, the referee has been the fall guy in football, so they are always going to be in that bad position.

This season the law-making bodies and our own referees’ people have made life even harder for them. Unfortunately what they are being told to do, and what laws they are being forced to make decisions on, most of us in football don’t agree with, so it makes it even harder for them. We are shooting the messenger.

EDDIE HOWE

Newcastle United

No yellows

GET IN TOUCH 

We want to hear from refs who have been abused – or parents who have witnessed atrocious behaviour on the touchline

Email us at: [email protected]

If you asked every manager, in the cold of light of day, we don’t want to see the abuse of referees. We want to see a game that has the referee held in respect and treated accordingly. The other side of that is the emotion and the pressure.

The situations we’re put in as managers are extreme and sometimes you see reactions, but that is based on emotion.

I do think it’s something we all need to work together on, to try and improve the image of the game for everyone watching. I would love to see that improved globally.

Restrictions being brought in and punishments being more severe are the only way to try and improve that. There is a willing from everyone in the game to do that, I don’t see the opposite.

It’s just about creating the culture that we need to.

Eddie Howe thinks harsher penalties are needed for managers who abuse referees

UNAI EMERY

Aston Villa

No yellows

We have to be very sensible with referees. When it goes well for our team, of course we are feeling better than when the opposite happens. I always respect them because they are honest and their work is very difficult.

VAR is very important and with that they will get better decisions at the end. We have to let them work because they are very professional and want the best for football.

Sometimes I was angry with referees in my career, but now I always try to be very respectful of them and their work.

Respect is always very important in everything. We speak about it a lot in the dressing room, to have it for each other, for the people who work here, for our opponents and for referees.

Respect is one of the values that we have to follow.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

It’s All Kicking Off is an exciting new podcast from Mail Sport that promises a different take on Premier League football.

It is available on MailOnline, Mail+, YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify.

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