'I hope we get out, Brexit' - Former QPR boss Holloway claims EU responsible for new handball rules

Peter Lynch

'I hope we get out, Brexit' - Former QPR boss Holloway claims EU responsible for new handball rules image

Ian Holloway claims that the European Union is to blame for the controversial new handball rule in the Premier League.

The former Crystal Palace and Blackpool manager made the bizarre claim following Gabriel Jesus’ last-minute goal in the 2-2 draw with Spurs last weekend.

The Brazilian striker thought he had scored the winner in the dying minutes of Saturday’s match at the Etihad, only for VAR to rule out the goal after team-mate Aymeric Laporte was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up.

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And Holloway believes that Britain must leave the EU as soon as possible to avoid further similar decisions.

“For me it doesn’t make sense, the handball rule,’ Holloway said on Sky Sports’ The Debate

"If it's not handball for both, how can you assess that?

"And to be fair, is that clear and obvious? They forgot the most important thing of all.

"Their job is to not re-referee the game but to be clear and obvious, so I don't think that's our boys making up that new change of law.

"I think that's people telling us what we need to do with our game, now they should stop doing that.”

With Britain set to leave the European Union in late October, the former QPR manager believes the decision will have a positive impact on the English Premier League.

"I hope we get out, Brexit, because that's what people are voting for and sort that out because you cannot have someone telling us how to do our own game."

The controversial International FA Board rules now mean that a goal can be disallowed if a player handles the ball resulting in an assist, regardless of whether or not there was any intention to do so.

The rules have been met by huge criticism from fans throughout the league, with VAR also under heavy scrutiny.

City had taken the lead after just 20 minutes through Raheem Sterling’s opener, only for Erik Lamela to equalise three minutes later. Sergio Aguero made it 2-1 to the home side soon after, with Lucas Moura levelling the scores early in the second half.

And it was his fellow Brazilian Jesus who found the net in added time, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR.

The situation brought back bad memories for Man City, who were on the wrong end of a VAR decision earlier this year in their Champions League quarter-final meeting with Spurs, where Sterling’s injury-time winner was correctly cancelled out due to an Aguero offside.

Peter Lynch