Marco Silva, Darren Bond, Fulham
Credit: Imago / Hasan Karim - Breaking Media
Keith Hackett
Mon 16 June 2025 17:30, UK
Keith Hackett has called for more transparency from the Premier League regulatory panel after an outburst from Fulham boss Marco Silva.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official exclusively told Football Insider that the Portuguese figure may have received a punishment behind the scenes during the season, one that was not published.
This comes after the 47-year-old hit out at Darren Bond’s decision-making during the Cottagers’ 2-2 draw against Ipswich Town, stating that the referee was not fit to officiate in the Premier League.
Leif Davis avoided a sending-off at Craven Cottage for a last-man challenge on Harry Wilson, with a total of three penalties awarded in the match, though all three needed VAR intervention.
Marco Silva lashes out at Darren Bond in Fulham draw
Despite his very honest comments on the referee’s performance at full-time, Silva never received a punishment from the FA after stepping beyond his bounds, or at least the punishment was not made public.
He has, however, received fines in the past, most notably following his meltdown at Old Trafford when Aleksandar Mitrovic was sent off against Man United in March 2023.
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Hackett, while agreeing with some of Silva’s comments, expected the FA to deliver a hefty punishment at Craven Cottage, though it never arrived after the 2-2 draw with the Tractor Boys.
"The referee was not at Premier League level” 😬
Harry Wilson was brought down by Ipswich’s Leif Davis as he broke forward in the first half. Referee Darren Bond did not deem it a denial of a clear scoring opportunity, to Marco Silva’s frustration. #MOTD2 pic.twitter.com/ShjRhtxAGk
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 5, 2025
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Keith Hackett suspects Marco Silva punished privately
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former referee said: “The regulatory panel have a line of punishments, and that first line could be, ‘Can we have your observations about what you’ve said?’, followed by a warning letter and a slap across the wrist.
Keith Hackett
Keith Hackett wants more clarity on the situation from the regulations panel.
“There are channels for managers to voice their frustrations. I think because he’s had a decent record, he’s had a warning letter rather than a sanction. That might have just come with a fine, but it wasn’t published.
“Maybe we should be asking for greater transparency of the regulatory panel, on a week-by-week basis, based on what you’ve seen and what the outcomes were. I’m all for transparency.”
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