Michael Oliver has been barred from officiating matches involving two clubs, following renewed controversy over his role in Sunday’s Premier League showdown between Liverpool and Manchester City.
The 40-year-old, one of England’s most senior referees with over 400 Premier League games to his name, was in charge of VAR for the clash at the Etihad.
Oliver had already faced criticism from Liverpool fans earlier this year for decisions in a 2-2 draw against Everton – a game in which both Arne Slot and his assistant were sent off. On Sunday, he was once again under fire after Virgil van Dijk’s first-half header was ruled out by VAR, which judged that Andy Robertson — standing in an offside position — was interfering with the goalkeeper’s line of sight, despite ducking away from the ball and facing the opposite direction.
The Premier League later issued a statement confirming the VAR decision, saying Robertson was “in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper.”
Arne Slot strongly disagreed in his post-match interview, insisting it was “obvious and clear that the wrong decision has been made,” arguing that Robertson “didn’t interfere at all with what the goalkeeper could do.” Liverpool believed they were robbed of a fair equaliser before eventually losing 3-0.
Oliver is a lifelong Newcastle United fan and previously played for the club at youth level. Due to his allegiance, he is prohibited from refereeing any Newcastle matches, as well as games involving their local rivals Sunderland.
“We must declare if we support a club or if any family member works for one,” Oliver told the Daily Mail. “You are not allowed to officiate matches involving that club — and I can’t referee Sunderland either, for obvious reasons. If Newcastle needed a point to survive and the team above them was, say, Aston Villa, I couldn’t take Villa’s match. I wouldn’t want to. It’s not worth the hassle.”
Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett previously explained that referees must undergo a background check every season. “They complete a form detailing their club loyalty, playing history, and home address,” he said. “This helps ensure referees are appointed fairly — for example, no Sheffield-based referee should be assigned to a Sheffield team.”
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