Former Chairperson of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) claimed that Son Heung-min (33, Tottenham) was overly confrontational with the referee.

Son Heung-min was substituted in the 67th minute of the English Premier League (EPL) Round 27 home match against Manchester City, held at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England, on the 27th (Korean time). Tottenham lost 0-1.

Son Heung-min strongly protested to the referee after the match. It appears that he raised concerns about the insufficient additional time given despite frequent interruptions during the game.

Former Chairperson Keith Hackett criticized Son Heung-min's actions.

Hackett said on the 28th through 'Tottenham News,' "The referee made good decisions in the last two matches. (In the match against Manchester City on the 27th) Haaland's handball and the subsequent disallowed goal are among them. The referee declared handball, voiding Manchester City's goal," defending the referee's decision, and criticized Tottenham players who protested, saying, "They need to reflect on themselves. The referee's report should include Son Heung-min's actions, who was not penalized despite ongoing protests."

The detailed circumstances of Son Heung-min's strong protest against the referee were as follows. In the 4th minute of stoppage time, Haaland shook the Tottenham net with his right foot after a defensive contest in the box. However, the goal was disallowed after a video review determined a handball, and this process took a long time.

In response, Son Heung-min and the Tottenham squad strongly protested to the referee. They engaged in a heated debate with referee Gillett. Tottenham, trailing 0-1, demanded a quick decision and additional time as the end of stoppage time approached.

Hackett claims that during the process of protesting the referee, Son Heung-min, among the Tottenham players, engaged in an intense debate.

"If there was a protest about additional time, they should check Section 5 of the game regulations. It is clearly stated that the referee is the sole arbiter of the match. I think Son Heung-min was trying to cling to his last hope in this game. It would have been more appropriate if Gillett had given a warning to emphasize the referee's authority to Son Heung-min," he added.

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[OSEN = Reporter Noh Jin-joo]