Joao Moutinho has spoken out about the decision that saw Mario Lemina receive a second booking for Wolves against Southampton.
Wanderers had to play the majority of the game with 10 men, after referee Jarred Gillett showed the midfielder a controversial second yellow card.
Lemina was walking a tightrope after picking up a caution inside 10 minutes for a foul on Carlos Alcaraz.
He was then shown a second yellow after simply making his way over to Gillett to contest a decision he felt had gone against him. It was first suggested that Lemina had run ‘aggressively’ towards him.
Replays showed that two players – Moutinho and Ruben Neves – were in Gillett’s vicinity.
Lemina then joined his teammates, and Gillett instantly brandished a yellow card.
£5 million star Moutinho has now revealed what went down, and what he himself said to Gillett.
He told The Athletic: “I really don’t understand what’s happened.
“I think no one understands what’s happening because for me Mario suffered three fouls before. For that the play continues and after that I go to the referee just to ask why he didn’t whistle the fouls against Mario.
“Ruben comes just to know what’s happened and then Mario comes just to ask and to tell the referee their player is grabbing the shirt and he turns to him and gives the second yellow card. I really don’t understand.”
It’s a rule that seems to have been enforced out of nowhere.
The following day in the game between Manchester City and Aston Villa, Ruben Dias was shown a yellow card for being the ‘third player’ to surround the referee.
He was booked by Robert Jones without saying anything.
Premier League need to provide clarity about the situation after Mario Lemina’s booking against Southampton
The Premier League have simply got to explain what is going on.
The decision by Gillett to book Lemina for simply being a third player to come over to him came completely out of the blue.
Clearly, no one knew this could have been a potential issue.
The Premier League need to state clearly what the rule is.
The fact Dias was booked for the same thing does suggest that the PGMOL are trying to clamp down on referees being surrounded.
That in itself is a very contentious thing, as the standard of officiating in the Premier League is so woeful that players are obviously going to want to speak to referees on the pitch.