Hoddle could face FA rap

Adrian Curtis13 April 2012

Tottenham manager Glenn Hoddle could be in trouble with the Football Association after a scathing attack on referee Mike Riley.

Hoddle said Spurs will appeal against the decision by Riley to red card Mauricio Taricco for a professional foul on Paul Scholes in last night's 4-0 defeat at Manchester United.

Riley harshly awarded United a penalty for the Argentine defender's misdemeanour, even though television pictures clearly showed the incident took place outside the penalty area.

It was further blow to Taricco, who has already been hit with a miscon-duct charge following an incident with Chelsea's Mario Melchiot in the Worthington Cup semi-final.

Ruud van Nistelrooy scored from the 41st-minute spot-kick that helped guide United back to the top.

Hoddle, who will attend his father Derek's funeral today, said: "It was a diabolical decision.

"We have still got amateurs working in our game and the key decisions are still being made by part-timers. It is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.

"Everyone in the game must be professional from top to bottom.

"The incident was a yard-and-a-half outside the penalty area. It should have been a free-kick and yellow card. It was a key decision because at one goal down going into the half-time break, we were very much still in the match.

"He ruined the game with what was a very, very poor decision. It has hurt us.

"The referee didn't actually give the decision initially.

"I saw the linesman signal a penalty and what astounded me was that the referee sent off Taricco before he even went over to talk to the linesman.

"It was outside the penalty area, so if we can't get those decisions right, then where do we go?"

Hoddle added: "We could have got something out of the game, but that was never going to happen after Taricco was sent off. We shall appeal against that decision without any shadow of a doubt because it was unjust one.

"I've said to the lads there is no reason to be down because a referee's assistant has been the difference between the two teams at the end of the day. What happened afterwards was down to him.

"If you get a player sent off and a penalty against you at Old Trafford and it is legitimate then you hold up your hands and say we deserved to be beaten four-nil, but not the way it panned out this time.

"It was a bad, bad decision. I was very big at advocating to get professional referees, but that wasn't going to make them better officials overnight.

"In four or five years hopefully ex-players will become referees.

"That is where we will see the benefit."

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