Manchester City's Sergio Aguero Grabs Female Referee During Game, Drawing Ire

Futbol fans are not happy with Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero after an incident on [...]

By John Newby

Futbol fans are not happy with Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero after an incident on Saturday. A video surfaced that showed him briefly grabbing a female assistant referee, Sian Massey-Ellis, in the neck/shoulder area. He was protesting a throw-in that was awarded to Arsenal during the first half of the match.

Aguero received no punishment for putting his hand on the referee despite newer regulations about such acts. New rules came into play in 2016 that prohibit physical contact with a referee or assistant. Doing so brings a yellow or red card based on the severity of the action. A red card would have resulted in Aguero's dismissal from the match. He remained in the match as Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory.

According to The Guardian, Aguero will not face retroactive punishment for his actions during the match. The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the organizing body for match officials, reportedly did not deem the hand on the referee to be an "aggressive or threatening action." Manchester City manager Peop Guardiola agreed with this assessment and strongly supported Aguero when discussing the controversial moment.

"Come on, guys. Sergio is the nicest person I have ever met in my life. Look for problems in other situations, not in this one," Guardiola said about the on-field incident. Many fans did not agree with his assessment of the situation and strongly voiced their opinions in response.

"Bottom line is that players should not be touching officials. There is no reason for it. It can be a yellow card or sending off. Players should respect officials and just get on and play. IMO Aguero should have been booked. PEP a poor defence," one fan commented. Others argued about whether Aguero would have touched a male referee in the same situation.

The Argentinian in Aguero joined Manchester City for the 2011-12 season after leaving Atletico Madrid of La Liga in Spain. He has remained with the organization ever since and made a considerable impact during the 2019-20 season. Aguero scored 16 goals in 24 matches as Manchester City finished second in the Premier League standings.

With Aguero avoiding suspension or discipline, he and Manchester City will continue to fight for victories in upcoming matches. The next team on the schedule is FC Porto, followed by West Ham. Manchester City and Arsenal will face off again in December.

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