Oliver Glasner called referee Sam Barrott a “great man” for admitting he had made a mistake that cost Crystal Palace in their defeat on Sunday.
Barrott blew his whistle for a foul by Will Hughes seconds before Eberechi Eze’s first-half free-kick found the bac of the net. VAR could not review the decision as play had stopped before the ball had crossed the line.
Barrott is in his second season as a Premier League referee.
After the match, Eze told the BBC: “I was told [by the referee] that he blew too early and made the mistake.
“It could have changed the game but we have to deal with it.”
Glasner said: “Everyone was surprised the referee whistled so early, but we don’t complain about it because the decision is made. In this moment, he took the decision.
“We thought it was a goal but the rules are: when the ball is in the game and the referee whistles, the goal doesn’t count.”
Asked whether he was annoyed that the referee had admitted to a mistake, Glasner replied: “No. It shows that he’s a good character and a good guy, the referee. I made mistakes as well today, and he showed that he’s a great man to say: ‘Yes, I made a mistake.’
“We feel disappointed of losing the season opener. It feels like we shouldn’t lose this game. There were many situations where we did okay but know we can do better. In decisive situations, we were not on our top level.”
