Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has praised his team’s unity after players started forming a circle before each half. But before their match against Newcastle United, something unusual happened.
Referee Paul Tierney accidentally ended up standing in the middle of Chelsea’s pre-match huddle, surprising several players.
Cole Palmer jokingly put his arms around the referee while looking confused, as Trevoh Chalobah and Enzo Fernandezlaughed at the situation.
Former England midfielder Fara Williams said Tierney “just stood in the middle of it,” meaning he likely heard everything the players said.
Former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann said it was something he had never seen in 50 years of watching football.
Cann later explained the reason: since it was Newcastle’s kick-off, the referee was holding the ball at the halfway line to avoid any possible confrontation between players.
