The Premier League will adopt an unprecedented measure in search of greater transparency and avoid possible conflicts of interest between referees and teams. As detailed by Howard Webb, director of the English League’s arbitration panel in an interview with The Times, the judges must provide all information of “specific interest” to be thorough in the designation of the matches.
“We will analyze it and make adjustments (in the designations) if we believe that there may be a conflict of interest if you declare yourself a fan of a specific team. If you have played for a club, too,” explained the former international referee.
The new measure of one of the best football leagues in the world has to do with what happened last season, with the claim issued by Nottingham Forest accusing that referee Stuart Attwell, who was in the VAR in this team’s game against Everton, he was a fan of Luton Town, Forest’s direct rival for not being relegated the previous season.
On the other hand, Webb explained that the interest of the Premier League is also for former footballers to join the refereeing body. “We are trying to get more players to referee, so it is something we have to work on. We will make an evaluation of all this and take it into account when appointing referees,” he argued.
Regarding sports, the Premier League will begin its 2024-2025 season this Friday, August 16, with the duel between Manchester United and Fulham.
