Enzo Maresca expressed frustration over what he perceived as pivotal refereeing oversights during Leicester City’s draw against Hull, feeling that these moments significantly impacted the game’s outcome. Despite the draw at the MKM Stadium, Leicester City remains within the promotion zone, albeit their lead over the third position has been slightly reduced.
Maresca highlighted three contentious decisions by referee Samuel Barrott that he believed adversely affected his team. These included a contested penalty awarded against his team, a penalty claim for Jamie Vardy that was not given, and the decision not to issue a second yellow card to Hull’s Jean Michael Seri for interrupting Wout Faes’s attempt to take a free-kick.
The Leicester City manager also noted his displeasure at Barrott officiating another of their matches, recalling a previous encounter against Ipswich on Boxing Day where he felt his team was also denied a clear penalty. “There are no words,” Maresca lamented, pointing out the crucial nature of these incidents. “We have not been fortunate with this referee’s decisions in two matches, costing us points.”
On the other side, Hull’s manager Liam Rosenior refrained from discussing the incident involving Seri but believed the penalties awarded during the game — including the one missed by his team after Regan Slater was fouled by Stephy Mavididi, and the one given to City following Abdul Fatawu’s trip by Seri — were justified. “Both penalties were penalties,” Rosenior stated, adding that after reviewing the footage, the contact for their penalty indeed started outside but concluded on the line, reinforcing his stance on the decision.
