
Bournemouth midfielder David Brooks escaped with just a booking after pulling Marc Cucurella’s hair during Chelsea’s Premier League clash.
Following a VAR check, the incident sparked debate, prompting the Premier League Match Centre to issue an official statement on the decision.
Their statement, posted on X, clarified:
“VAR recommended an on-field review for a possible red card to Brooks for violent conduct. Upon review, the referee deemed that the challenge on Cucurella was a reckless action and not violent conduct and issued a yellow card to Brooks.”
This incident has drawn comparisons to a similar episode in 2022 when Tottenham’s Cristian Romero infamously pulled Cucurella’s hair without facing any punishment. Former VAR official Mike Dean later admitted he had made a mistake in failing to act on that occasion.
For Cucurella, the repeated controversy over hair-pulling incidents raises questions about the consistency of officiating in such situations.
Whats the use of VAR if the ref can pull rank and ignore it?😡