Why did the referee stand in Chelsea's huddle? Paul Tierney caught in Blues team talk as Rosenior to submit complaint

Chelsea's pre-match team talk caused a stir throughout the Premier League and Champions League, as the Blues push deeper into the 2025/26 season.

Led by captain Reece James and superstar Cole Palmer, the 11 players on the pitch have begun to huddle before both halves of every match, both before the opening kickoff and ahead of the second half.

On Saturday, as Chelsea were upended by Newcastle by a 1-0 score which dropped them to fifth in the table with their third defeat of their last five games, it caused an even bigger outcry than it has before, after something jarring happened while the team convened at the centre circle.

The Sporting News explains what happened, why it was extremely odd, and what will happen now as the Chelsea coaching staff was displeased by the occurrence.

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Why was referee Paul Tierney caught in Chelsea pre-match huddle?

As Chelsea prepared for their match against Newcastle on Saturday, March 14, the Blues' squad gathered for their traditional pre-match routine.

However, referee Paul Tierney found himself in the middle of an awkward moment, standing in the center of the team talk.

The Chelsea players appeared thrown off by Tierney's presence. Referees are expected to remain impartial, and being part of a team talk could be seen by either side as showing favoritism or crossing a boundary of professional conduct.

"We were told, in the rule book, it's about timing," said Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior after the game. "I just want to find a solution to this. We're talking about something that's nowhere near important as what happened."

The reason Tierney stood in this position was due to the fact that Chelsea had surrounded the ball in the centre circle, despite the fact that it was to be Newcastle's kick-off to begin the match.

"As it was Newcastle's kick-off, the referee [took] control of the ball on the halfway line and was there to prevent any potential issues," said former Premier League assistant referee Darren Cann to BBC Sport. "When it is their kick-off, there is no particular issue. However, when their opponents have to kick off, there is potential for confrontation."

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Liam Rosenior to submit complaint to PGMOL for Tierney incident

Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior was unhappy that referee Paul Tierney became involved in their pre-match team talk and criticized both the official’s presence and his performance during the match.

"I'm disappointed. My players made a decision to huddle around the ball to show unity; it's not my decision," Rosenior told reporters after the loss to Newcastle. "There's nothing disrespectful about it. If Paul had focused more on his job, which is to make the right decision, we might have had a penalty today. Let's focus on the things that are important."

Rosenior said he plans to reach out to PGMOL, the referees' union, to discuss the situation.

"I didn't speak to Paul or his officials today, but I will be speaking to PGMOL and the refs to try to understand why that happened."

By criticizing the referee’s performance, Rosenior could face scrutiny. The FA's disciplinary process may consider charging the Chelsea manager for improper conduct regarding comments about officials.

Why do Chelsea huddle before each match and half?

Since Liam Rosenior arrived as Chelsea manager in January, the Blues have made a habit of huddling to talk as a squad prior to each half.

"I like to speak to the players right before the first half starts and right before the second half starts," said Chelsea captain Reece James after a recent win over Aston Villa. "That is the best way I think I can get messages across to them."

According to Rosenior, it is a show of unity from the players who are hoping to crack on in the following 45 minutes as one team and one unit.

"There is nothing about the huddle that is intentionally to affect anything to do with the opposition, the fans, or anything at all," the Chelsea manager said on Friday prior to the Newcastle match. "It was a decision that was made between the group and the leadership team about the way they wanted to show unity."