Constantine Hatzidakis, the assistant referee who ‘elbowed’ Liverpool defender Andy Robertson at half-time during their recent draw against Arsenal, used to look completely different just years ago.
During the Reds 2-2 draw with the Gunners at Anfield, Robertson was incensed at half-time when Hatzidakis was spotted to have ‘elbowed’ the Scotsman in the throat.
The left-back looked absolutely stunned by the interaction before chasing after Hatzidakis. He then had to be dragged away by Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo.
The left-back looked absolutely stunned by the interaction before chasing after Hatzidakis. He then had to be dragged away by Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo.
But there was a time where the rugged assistant ref looked entirely different to how he looked during his altercation with Robertson.
While he now dons a beard and a clean cropped hair cut, back in 2018, Hatzidakis used to favour a slicked back swept hairstyle.
Robertson was incensed by Hatzidakis’ ‘elbow’
Hatizdakis (R) accepting his award for being a reserve assistant for the 2018 FA Cup Final
The moment Sky Sports captured the assistant ref ‘elbowing’ Robertson
The referee was once an assistant reserve for the 2018 FA Cup Final which saw Chelsea claim a 1-0 win over Manchester United thanks to an Eden Hazard penalty.
Accepting an award from the Referees’ Association that year for making it to Wembley as an reserve, Hatzidakis was tremendously proud of his achievement, telling them: “During 2013 FA Cup Final I was fortunate enough to be invited to Eve of the Rally by Steve Child who was one of the Assistant Referees. This really inspired me to keep on the journey as an official.
“As a young referee I didn’t come for a referee background. Being part of my local RA has been crucial to my development and providing me with a support network. I have utilised the support to develop myself as a referee and keep going even when things got tough.”
However, he now looks set to be in hot water following the incident with Robertson, who it should be noted grabbed Hatzidakis first.
PGMOL have already commented stating: “PGMOL is aware of an incident involving assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis and Liverpool defender Andrew Robertson at half-time during the Liverpool v Arsenal fixture at Anfield. We will review the matter in full once the game has concluded.”
Jurgen Klopp asked by fan if Jude Bellingham is going to join Liverpool
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp gave a priceless reaction when he encountered a fan asking whether his club would sign Jude Bellingham.
The Borussia Dortmund midfielder is Liverpool’s primary summer transfer target heading into the summer window. After a number of standout performances in the Bundesliga, Champions League and on international duty with England, the 19-year-old has become one of the most in-demand players in Europe.
Bellingham is also being linked with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Reds supporters are clamouring for the signature of the midfielder, who has been previously likened to iconic captain, Steven Gerrard.
Prior to their enthralling 2-2 draw with Arsenal, the Liverpool squad embarked on a walk around the docks pre-match. With eager fans awaiting a glimpse of their heroes, one fan tried his hand at earning an exclusive insight from the Liverpool boss.
In a TikTok clip, which originated from an account named osjarmonka, a Reds fan, wearing a ‘Bellingham 8’ Liverpool shirt, can be heard asking: “Is Bellingham coming?”
There is no audible response from Klopp, but the video continues to show the 55-year-old in good spirits after walking past.
Also in the video, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jordan Henderson are spotted looking at the fan before turning to each other with the Liverpool skipper letting off a wry smile.
“You heard about Jude, that’s a different subject,” Klopp said previously when asked about Bellingham. “In general, it always makes things more difficult in general, we are still Liverpool, a big club, it’s not that we can’t do nothing, we will have transfer business.
“We have to, it’s 100% clear in the summer we have to make changes, it’s clear everyone knows that it will happen.
“In the end, how much? It’s not in my hands exactly what we can but we are in constant talks and everybody knows exactly what we need.”