Peter Walton accuses Klopp and Arteta of “inciting pile-ons” after Turkey referee assault

Social media is in an uproar after former Premier League official Peter Walton brought coaches Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta into the conversation after a Turkish referee was assaulted.

Turkish referee punched by club president

Turkish official Halil Umut Meler was officiating the game between Ankaragucu and Caykur Rizespor when, in the 97th minute, just after Ankaragucu scored the equalizer, Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca ran onto the field and punched Meler in the face. He fell to the ground and was later taken to the hospital to be treated for multiple injuries, inluding a minor fracture. Three men have been arrested in the aftermath.

Turkish soccer bosses have suspended all leagues in Turkey. FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan have condemned the attack.

“Everyone saw what happened last night,” said referee Arda Kardesler. “We have nothing to say. We gathered with all the referees. Our federation and the Central Referee Committee said they will support us in every decision that we will take and postponed the whole league. However, right now, we are not in a state to discuss or think about refereeing. Our only current priority is for our friend, Halil Umut Meler to return to health and his family as soon as possible.”

What did Peter Walton say about Arteta and Klopp?

Peter Walton officiated in the Premier League from 2003 until 2012 and now works in the media. Upon hearing the news about the incident in Turkey, he warned that something like it could easily happen in England, then bringing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta into the mix.

“Every governing body needs to come out immediately and condemn these actions. Officials need to feel supported at a time like this,” Walton said in an article for The Times. “Then, maybe the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta will think twice next time they rush to harangue an official or question his impartiality after the game and incite pile-ons.”

People on social media have questioned why Walton called out those two specifically and also pointed out that they are irrelevant to the conversation about what happened in Turkey.

Klopp is known to have passionate outbursts during games and was banned for two games last season and fined £75,000 after a clash with referee Paul Tierney, with whom he has long-term beef. Arteta was also recently suspended after receiving three yellow cards in their loss to Aston Villa.

Walton does not think that a suspension is enough punishment, saying that the league should enact “longer bans, points deductions”, and that managers should not be allowed inside the stadium on game day.

“Words and statements only get you so far. The real truth is that we need to be much harsher in terms of the punishments we dish out,” said Walton. “Only then might we see some real change.”