Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has admitted he made a huge error during a match between Chelsea and Tottenham in August 2022.
Dean began officiating in the top-flight in 2000 and refereed more than 550 matches, with his last game coming at the end of the 2021-22 campaign.
He was the VAR official when Chelsea faced Spurs at Stamford Bridge around two-and-a-half years ago, a clash which ended in a 2-2 draw.
During the match, Spurs defender Cristian Romero pulled the hair of Chelsea star Marc Cucurella but somehow managed to avoid a red card.
Spurs went on to equalise in the 96th minute through Harry Kane, much to the fury of Chelsea supporters, who were denied a victory over their rivals.
‘[Cristian] Romero pulled Cucurella’s hair,’ Dean told Sky Sports. ‘And I didn’t do it [send him off].
‘But he’s clearly done it, he’s got to be sent off. It’s his second red card of the season. It has to be a sending off, it can’t not be. [Romero wasn’t sent off] because I got it wrong.’
Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte, who were managing Chelsea and Spurs respectively at the time, were engaged in a fiery confrontation at the conclusion of the match.
As the full-time whistle went, the managers shook hands but Tuchel held onto his opposite number and appeared to tell Conte ‘look at me when shaking me hand’ before players and coaches jumped in to separate them.
Tuchel, who has since become England manager, said post-match: ‘I thought when we shake hands you looked in each other eyes, he had a different opinion. It was not necessary but a lot of things were not necessary.
‘Come on guys, it’s between two competitors and nothing bad happened. It’s emotional, football.
‘We don’t need to heat it up. You have emotional coaches on the touchline and that’s it.
‘There was a clear foul on Kai Havertz and the situation goes on and on. Richarlison was offside and when can you pull hair on a football field?’