‘Didn’t deem it a violent act’- Referee Mike Dean admits he was wrong about Marc Cucurella hair pull incident

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Mike Dean, who was on-call during Chelsea's Week 2 clash against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, which ended in a stalemate at 2-2, accepted that he made the wrong call during the hair-pulling incident involving Cristian Romero andMarc Cucurella. He opted to let the incident pass shortly before Spurs slotted in their late equaliser, ensuring that the point haul was shared at the end of the match.

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The veteran official admitted that he should have called upon the on-field referee Anthony Taylor to review footage of the incident on the pitch-side monitor to form his own opinion regarding the same.

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"I could not award a free kick as VAR, but I could recommend to Taylor that he visit the referee review area to consider a possible red card. In the few seconds I had to study Romero pulling Cucurella's hair, I didn't deem it a violent act. I've since studied the footage, spoken to other referees and, upon reflection, I should have asked Taylor to visit his pitch-side monitor to take a look for himself. The referee on field always has the final say."

It is interesting to note that this incident was not the only controversial moment in the action-packed match. Tottenham's first goal, which was scored byPierre-Emile Højbjerg, was also an extremely contentious matter, with several complaints suggesting that the goal should have been disallowed owing to the supposed foul on Kai Havertz in the build-up of the play. In addition, claims were made regarding a potential offside offence against striker Richarlison.

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While discussing the matter, Dean stood resolute in favor of his decision, claiming that Rodrigo Bentancur's potential foul on Kai Havertz took place outside the attacking phase of play. He further dismissed claims, suggesting that Richarlison was interfering withEdouard Mendy's field of vision from an offside position, declaring that the Chelsea goalkeeper had a view of the ball.