Fabinho should have been sent off for his horror tackle in Liverpool’s FA Cup exit to Brighton.
Referees’ bosses have now spoken about the decision when Fabinho escaped with a yellow card for his challenge on Evan Ferguson.
The PGMOL – the Professional Game Match Officials Board – have confirmed that the tackle warranted a VAR intervention and potential red card.
But referee David Coote only booked Fabinho while VAR Neil Swarbrick also did not intervene in the FA Cup clash on Sunday.
Ferguson limped off in real pain and Brighton are now waiting to discover whether major damage has been done to his Achilles after Fabinho’s challenge.
It was felt that while the challenge from the Brazilian was low intensity, but there was contact with studs up from behind.
The PGMOL felt it should have gone to a VAR review and there is a feeling that those kind of challenges should now result in a red card.
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It is a huge let-off for Fabinho and also Liverpool because the midfielder would have received a three game ban for serious foul play had he been sent off.
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi excused Fabinho after the incident and said it was an “accident.” He said after the match: “I don’t like to speak about this. About this foul I don’t want to talk about it more.
“Fabinho I am sure is an honest player and a correct player. But on the pitch it can happen, this foul, this accident. Is Ferguson OK? No. We will see.
“The injury, we don’t know yet, but we will see in the next days, and we hope for him and for the club that it will not be such an important injury.”
Jurgen Klopp said: “There was no dynamic in it. I just saw it once, not a second time. With dynamic movement, we can talk about a red card, but Fabinho was more lying down, then he hit Ferguson]. Not cool.”
Brighton players were also furious when Konate appeared to foul Mac Allister while he was through on goal. The Seagulls didn’t let that injustice get to them however, scoring a winner to dump the holders out of the competition.
