Why is Premier League referee Michael Oliver serving Saudi Arabia?

Cristiano Ronaldo (left) received a warning from referee Michael Oliver. Credit: Getty Images/Fayez Nureldine

Michael Oliver, one of the prime ministers Leading league officials flew to Saudi Arabia in the middle of the week between England's top flight refereeing games to referee a league match between Cristiano Ronaldo's al-Nasr and » Al-Hilalom.”

Oliver's trip to the Middle East followed a few days later. he watched Crystal Palace win at Southampton on Saturday and ahead of his appointment at Liverpool against Nottingham Forest this weekend.

He was joined in Saudi Arabia by other FIFA recognized officials , Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett and Darren England. .

As a senior match official and member of UEFA's elite refereeing team, Oliver regularly officiates Champions League and international matches abroad.

However, this is believed to be the first time he has watched a match in another national league, and his trip made international headlines after he showed Ronaldo a yellow card for knocking an opponent by the neck.

Ronaldo's side lost 2-0 to Odion Ighalo, another former Manchester United striker United”, who scored twice against Al Hilala.

Oliver is believed to have received permission to travel to Saudi Arabia after the request was discussed and accepted by key decision makers to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited, the body responsible for match officials in English professional football, and the Football Association.

At PGMOL, now run by Chief Justice Howard Webb, Oliver's trip to Saudi Arabia is seen as another testament to the high regard held by British officials internationally.

Webb previously worked in Saudi Arabia, from 2015 to 2017 for a year he held the position of director of the country's judiciary, after he retired from active refereeing.

This is not the first time that the Saudi Pro League has appointed a senior European official to oversee one of its matches. Last month, Al-Nasr's match against Al-Ittihad was appointed by Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Laos.

A trip to Saudi Arabia did not affect Oliver's availability for Premier League matches, and he was appointed as the referee Manchester City's main game against Arsenal on Wednesday next week.

However, official data showed that the use of video assistant technology in the Premier League has improved significantly since returning to action after of the World Cup.

The Premier League's independent commission on «key match incidents» found that since the World Cup there have been four instances of incorrect interference by Var, one in every 37.5 games, compared to before the figure one every 24.3 games before the tournament in Qatar. The IC found that the number of missed interventions has also been reduced from 12 to 7.

Webb is looking to improve PGMOL judging standards with a focus on Var and it is understood the body will have a new Var Manager in place by the start of next season.