The English football referee Mike Dean, who had received death threats online following a controversial expulsion last weekend, was not selected for matchday 24 of Premier League this weekend.
The 52-year-old referee, who had sent off West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek for an elbow to an opponent on Saturday, had asked not to be designated for the next matches, although he will referee the round of 16 match of the English Cup, the Wednesday, between Leicester and Brighton.
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A few days before the West Ham incident, Dean had also awarded Manchester United a penalty and sent off Southampton defender Jan Bednarek.
The red cards had been decided after consultation with the VAR and both were later annulled on appeal. Mike Dean received many displays of support, including that of Tomas Soucek, whom he had wrongly expelled.
“Decisions made on the field must remain on the field. I do not like to know that it interferes in personal life and I send Mike Dean and his family my full support,” the midfielder tweeted.
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The English referee’s control body, the PGMOB, also supported Mike Dean and the Premier League boss, Richard Masters, had described the threats as “inexcusable”, calling on social networks to act to prevent any abuse.
SPORTS
With AFP
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