Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has called on football’s lawmakers to introduce sin bin suspensions at the elite level as a deterrent against simulation, following an incident involving Tottenham midfielder Pape Sarr during their final Premier League fixture against Everton.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-FIFA referee said Sarr “damaged the image of the game” when he threw himself to the ground inside the penalty area in the 80th minute, in what appeared to be an attempt to win a penalty. Referee Michael Oliver was not deceived, however, booking Sarr for the dive. Spurs ultimately ran out 1-0 winners — a result that secured their top-flight survival at West Ham’s expense, with Joao Palhinha’s strike proving the difference.
Hackett, who has already called for a retrospective one-match ban for Sarr following a review panel assessment, believes the current system lacks sufficient bite. “Do we go into a team punishment during the course of the match? We say we’re going to introduce a sin bin into the game at the elite level,” he told Football Insider. “With that sin bin, dissent and simulation might be the opportunity to stop it and act as a deterrent. At the moment, there’s no deterrent.”
The former referee also praised Oliver’s handling of the situation while expressing frustration that other officials have not been as consistent. He argued that simulation undermines the integrity of the game and carries a serious risk of resulting in opponents being wrongly dismissed. “Morally, it’s wrong,” he said. “There should be no place in the game for it.”
The incident may also carry significant consequences for Sarr’s future at the club. The 23-year-old has struggled to hold down a starting role under Roberto De Zerbi, failing to feature from the off in any of the new manager’s seven matches in charge, with Palhinha, Rodrigo Bentancur, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison and Archie Gray all ahead of him in the pecking order. Having previously been a key figure under Ange Postecoglou, Sarr has found it difficult to adapt to the managerial upheaval at Hotspur Way, and Football Insider understands that a departure is now considered inevitable ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
Bayern Munich have been credited with an interest in the Senegalese midfielder, with the prospect of a reunion with Harry Kane adding further appeal. Should the Bundesliga giants make a formal approach this summer, it would be difficult for Sarr to decline — meaning his moment of ill-discipline against Everton could well prove to be his final act in a Tottenham shirt.
