Diogo Jota and Oleksandr Zinchenko’s partners have hit out at referees and Pep Guardiola, while Thiago Silva’s wife has taken on managers, team-mates and fans – and don’t forget Wagatha Christie!

• Diogo Jota’s partner slammed refereeing after Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham
• Rute Cardoso is not the first partner of a footballer to express frustration online 
• Click HERE to listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off’

Liverpool’s controversial 2-1 defeat to Tottenham has provoked widespread anger after a huge VAR howler cost Jurgen Klopp’s side a goal.

Frustration at the decision to disallow Luis Diaz’s strike has been expressed by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, as well as the club’s star players and supporters.

Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso also hit out at the decision on social media as she revealed her fury at referee Simon Hooper and the officiating body PGMOL.

Cardoso took to Instagram following the match after Hooper had shown her husband two yellow cards in quick succession in the second half. Jota’s dismissal left the Reds playing with nine men after Curtis Jones was sent off in the first half.

Liverpool ultimately suffered a last-gasp defeat following Joel Matip’s stoppage time own goal.

Diogo Jota’s wife Rute Cardoso complained about the officiating in Liverpool’s loss to Spurs

She shared a video of Jota’s foul on Destiny Udogie with a clown emoji (left) and the PGMOL’s statement with the words ‘rigged game’ crossed out (right)

Jota was sent off in the defeat to Spurs but his wife was also furious about the VAR farce

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Cardoso shared a video of Jota’s first foul on Destiny Udogie on Instagram, posting a clown emoji. Replays appeared to show Udogie tripped himself under pressure from the Portuguese forward – something Cardoso highlighted.

She then posted an image of PGMOL’s statement acknowledging the wrongly disallowed Diaz strike, with the words ‘rigged game’ crossed out.

PGMOL had admitted that a ‘significant human error’ had occurred with VAR official Darren England mistakenly believing Diaz’s goal had been awarded on pitch.

The body released audio of the incident on Tuesday, with Liverpool boss Klopp suggesting the match should be replayed.

Cardoso is far from the first partner of a footballer to wade in online, whether it be frustration at officiating or being disgruntled at managers and team-mates.  

Mail Sport takes a look at other examples of footballers’ partners being vocal online. 

Jota was shown two yellow cards in quick succession during nine-man Liverpool’s defeat

Liverpool wrongly had a goal ruled out after the VAR believed the on-field decision to be ‘goal’, meaning he said the check was complete, despite Luis Diaz being given offside on-pitch

Cardoso is far from the first partner of a Premier League star to express frustrations online

Thiago Silva’s wife slams Chelsea managers, team-mates and fans

Thiago Silva’s wife, Isabelle da Silva, has not been shy to express her thoughts on social media during the veteran defender’s time at Chelsea.

Isabelle remarkably slammed Silva’s former team-mate Timo Werner in 2021, posting online about the German striker’s poor finishing following the Blues 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in a Champions League semi-final.

‘This is karma, guys. Every team I go to there is a striker who keeps missing goals… this Werner, what is his name?’,’ she wrote on Instagram.

In a second video she added: ‘We need a goal, we need to win this match but my attackers don’t want to score, I don’t know why they don’t score.’

A month later, Isabelle backed her husband after he was embroiled in an on-pitch row with Leicester City’s Daniel Amartey.

Isabelle posted ‘That’s right, show who’s boss,’ as a caption to a photo of Silva confronting Amartey. 

She also tweeted ‘We didn’t forget you Amartey’ in reference to the Leicester player throwing Chelsea’s pennant after the Foxes had beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup final a week earlier.

During Chelsea’s miserable 2022-23 season, Isabelle made a series of controversial posts online to express her frustration at the Blues’ struggles.

Thiago Silva’s wife Isabelle has not been shy in expressing opinions about Chelsea online

Isabelle tweeted in support of her husband after a touchline spat with Daniel Amartey

Isabelle da Silva has criticised players and manager’s during her husband’s time at Chelsea

‘I just think that going back or looking for solutions when you take a hasty and totally wrong attitude is not wrong #goblues,’ she posted after Silva was left an unused substitute by Graham Potter in Chelsea’s 4-0 FA Cup loss to Man City.

She previously queried why there were no photos of her husband on the new Stamford Bridge designs.

After the Blues drew 2-2 with Tottenham at Stamford Bridge last August, she wrote ‘Today I went to Stamford Bridge, and I noticed that the photos changed around the stadium. But I don’t see a photo of @tsilva3 anywhere. Why @ChelseaFC?’

Meanwhile, supporters have previously been the subject of her ire. Following the 1-0 defeat to Manchester City last week, she took issue with the boos that appeared to ring out across the ground, shouting ‘come on Chelsea’ in an apparent bid to try and gee up those around her.

In April last season, Belle leapt to the defence of her husband after claiming he was criticised for ‘not attacking enough’ during a 4-1 defeat at home by Brentford.

‘I’m here in my box at Stamford Bridge,’ she said. ‘I just listened right now to the commentator, who said that Thiago Silva is not attacking enough,’ she said.

‘Respect Thiago Silva because Thiago Silva arrived yesterday, Thiago Silva played for Brazil, Thiago Silva is very tired, Thiago Silva is 37 years old, he plays like he is 20 years old.

‘So respect him, he’s not a machine. He needs to relax, alright?’

After a dire end to last season, Isabelle reflected on the the struggle to raise morale by posting ‘Very difficult to see what I see on TV. At home the situation worsens because I don’t know how to help, what to say. Very sad @tsilva3 you aren’t alone.’

Isabelle da Silva frequently commented on the Blues fortunes during a difficult season

Silva’s wife showed previously hit out at Chelsea fans for their lack of support during a defeat 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner hits out after Portugal’s World Cup exit

Cristiano Ronaldo’s partner Georgina Rodriguez was quick to place the blame for Portugal’s shock World Cup exit last year at the door of coach Fernando Santos.

Santos had taken the decision to bench Ronaldo for their quarter-final match against Morocco, which the African side won 1-0 to spring a huge surprise.

The coach had opted to stick with Goncalo Ramos in attack after the forward had scored a hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the previous round.

Alongside a picture of Ronaldo, Rodriguez posted on Instagram: ‘Today your friend and coach decided wrong. That friend for whom you have so many words of admiration and respect.

‘The same one who, by getting you into the game, saw how everything changed, but it was too late. You cannot underestimate the best player in the world, his most powerful weapon.

Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Portugal’s starting line-up in their World Cup loss to Morocco

His partner Georgina Rodriguez hit out at manager Fernando Santos for not starting Ronaldo

‘Nor can you stick up for someone who doesn’t deserve it. Life teaches us lessons. Today we have not lost, we have learned.’

Ronaldo’s sister Elma Aveiro also reacted to the defeat, calling for the Portugal players to keep their heads up after the loss.

‘Sad for the team, now it’s time to raise our head and move on… God knows everything,’ she wrote on Instagram.

Guardiola’s tactics are slammed by Oleksandr Zinchenko’s wife 

Pep Guardiola has widely been regarded as one of the best managers of all-time, but the Spaniard faced to the ire of Oleksandr Zinchenko’s wife Vlada Sedan back in 2020.

The 27-year-old, a Ukrainian TV presenter blamed Guardiola for Man City suffering a shock 3-1 defeat to Lyon in the Champions League quarter-final in 2020.

‘Perhaps I have no right to say this, perhaps Zinchenko will forbid me. But to put it mildly, and in order not to swear, this is completely Guardiola’s fault,’ she said on her YouTube channel.

‘At such a crucial moment, making such an experimental tactic for Man City is a bummer.

‘I have no right to criticise, but why play three central defenders when the players themselves take their heads.

‘I simply have no words, because to have such a line-up… look what players play at Man City, what a bench. Literally few clubs in the world can boast such reserves.’

Vlada Zinchenko criticised Guardiola’s tactics on YouTube after a Champions League defeat

Vlada criticised with Guardiola’s decision to play three centre backs in a defeat against Lyon

Oleksandr Zinchenko had to take time out on his wedding day to clear up his wife’s comments 

Zinchenko had been left out of the starting eleven for the match, with the left back chosen as a substitute with Guardiola’s deciding to play three central defenders.

The Ukraine star, who now plays for Arsenal, interrupted his own wedding day to distance himself from Sedan’s controversial comments.

‘In the video you can see her emotions straight after the game and she gave an opinion like all fans do because she wanted us to do better,’ Zinchenko wrote in a statement.

‘We totally understand now that she shouldn’t post it on social media because she is my wife.’

Sedan later revealed that Guardiola had reference her comments when Zinchenko had joked with the Man City boss on his 50th birthday.

She said: ‘It was his birthday – 50 years old. Zina is always Zina. Firstly compliments, best wishes, but then there must be a fly in the ointment.

‘Zina told him, ‘already 50, old age” Kidding in his own style.

‘Pep looked at him and said: ‘Alex, the most important thing for me is to be liked by your wife and all will be okay…’

The Ukrianian TV presenter revealed Guardiola had brought up the comments to her husband after Zinchenko had made a joke on the manager’s 50th birthday 

Tammy Abraham‘s girlfriend fumes over his FA Cup final axe

Tammy Abraham’s girlfriend Leah Monroe took a leaf out of Isabelle da Silva’s book when she took to social media to criticise then Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel in 2021.

Leah Monroe wrote this message on her Instagram story before deleting it 

Abraham had been left out of Tuchel’s squad for the FA Cup final against Leicester, despite being their top scorer at the time when 12 goals in 34 appearances.

‘How on earth do you make the decision to leave your top goal scorer out of the squad for a final?!’ Monroe wrote on Instagram, before quickly deleting the post.

‘The same person who even scored the goal to actually qualify for this competition? It’s not making any sense to me whatsoever.’

She added: ‘Not even on the bench?! This has to be a joke.’

Tuchel defended his decision post-match, after Chelsea’s 1-0 defeat, with the German coach suggesting Abraham had the right to feel frustrated. 

‘I understand his frustration and it was not the first time. We have other guys with the same situation to face,’ Tuchel said.

‘This is not the moment to complain, and this is not the moment to explain too much. This is the moment just to live in the moment.’

Abraham was left out of Chelsea’s final two matches of the season, with the striker leaving the club in the summer joining Roma in a £34m transfer. 

Leah Monroe had fumed on social media after Tammy Abraham was axed for the FA Cup final

Abraham left Chelsea in the summer of 2021 with the striker joining Italian side Roma

Ilkay Gundogan’s wife takes on the Manchester culinary scene

Former Man City captain Ilkay Gundogan enjoyed a stunning spell at the club before departing for Barcelona in the summer, after leading the club to the Treble.

The German international won the Premier League on five occasions, as well as two FA Cups, four League Cups and the Champions League last season.

Life in Manchester, however, did not always live up to the taste of Gundogan’s wife Sara Arfaoui.

The model, who was born in France but moved to Italy as a child, took to Instagram to criticise restaurants across the city last year.

In an Instagram post, she wrote: ‘Sorry, I’m sad to be honest but nothing. I tired [sic] so bad to find a good restaurant but horrible food everywhere.

Ilkay Gundogan celebrated Man City’s treble success with his wife Sara Arfaoui last season

Arfaoui last year crticised the ‘horrible food’ in Manchester in a post on Instagram

The model said she could not find ‘a real Italian or good sushi or just fresh food’

The model married Gundogan last year just months after announcing their engagement

‘Can’t find a real Italian or good sushi or just fresh food… everything frozen. Restaurants here are focus [sic] on making money with drinks and shot [sic] like nightclubs, not quality food. 

‘Maybe in London but in Manchester nothing. I’m sorry.’

Her criticism came off the back of Jorgelina Cardoso, the wife of ex-Man United star Angel Di Maria, claiming that the food in Britain is ‘disgusting’ and stating ‘the women look like porcelain’.

Arfaoui’s comments drew criticism from restaurant critics and high-profile chefs.

TV chef Gary Usher responded to Arfaoui’s post by writing ‘We have two restaurants in Manchester and I’m genuinely delighted that footballers and their wives don’t come because I’d be questioning our offer if they did.

‘Good taste and class is hardly synonymous with footballers’ wives and their leopard print themed cinema rooms.’

Michael Carrick’s wife his out at Keane criticism

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane has not been shy in dishing out criticism to the club’s players having become a high-profile pundit.

Keane was typically angered when Man United slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Olympiacos back in 2014.

The pundit turned his attentions to Michael Carrick post-match, claiming the midfielder’s post-match interview had been reflective of the Red Devil’s performance. 

‘That interview was just like their performance – flat,’ Keane said on ITV.

Roy Keane’s typically blunt punditry angered the wife of a former Manchester United star

Lisa Carrick defended her husband Michael in 2014 after Man United suffered a shock loss

 ‘I want him to say something. Say a bit more – a bit more urgency in his interview – it just reflected United’s performance tonight – flat, no urgency.’

Carrick’s wife Lisa jumped on Keane’s comments on Twitter. 

‘Roy Keane what a **** says anything to provoke a reaction.. That’s all .. Done ..’ she wrote. 

She promptly deleted the Tweet before posting again to say: ‘Deleted my tweet .. Emotions got the better of me .. Just disappointed.’

 ‘Wagatha Christie’

The most staggering case of footballer’s wives becoming embroiled in a social media spat came in 2019 when Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney spectacularly fell-out.

Wayne Rooney’s wife Coleen had sensationally claimed Vardy had been leaking ‘false stories’ about her private life to journalists from The Sun newspaper.

The spat was quickly dubbed Wagatha Christie after Coleen staged an elaborate sting operation in which she made-up fake personal stories on social media to whittle down who was responsible for leaks.

‘For a few years now someone who I trusted to follow me on my personal Instagram account has been consistently informing The SUN newspaper of my private posts and stories,’ Rooney wrote.

‘There has been so much information given to them about me, my friends and my family — all without my permission or knowledge. After a long time of trying to figure out who it could be, for various reasons, I had a suspicion.

 Coleen Rooney accused Rebekah Vardy of leaking ‘false stories’ about her to the press in 2019 

Vardy denied any involvement and later launched a high profile libel case against Rooney

The libel case dubbed ‘Wagatha Christie’ was decided at the High Court in July last year

Rebekah, the wife of Leicester star Jamie, ultimately lost the £3million libel case 

‘To try and prove this, I came up with an idea. I blocked everyone from viewing my Instagram stories except ONE account. (Those on my private account must have been wondering why I haven’t had stories on there for a while.)

‘Over the past five months I have posted a series of false stories to see if they made their way into the Sun newspaper. And you know what, they did! The story about gender selection in Mexico, the story about returning to TV and then the latest story about the basement flooding in my new house.

‘It’s been tough keeping it to myself and not making any comment at all, especially when the stories have been leaked, however I had to. Now I know for certain which account/individual it’s come from. I have saved and screenshotted all the original stories which clearly show just one person has viewed them.

‘It’s………. Rebekah Vardy’s account.’

Vardy denied Rooney’s allegation and launched a libel case, which eventually resulted in a High Court battle.

The case concluded last year with Vardy losing the £3million case, after a judge dismissed her evidence as ‘evasive or implausible’. Her agent was also accused of intentionally dropping her phone in the North Sea.

The remarkable case spawned a Channel 4 dramatisation called ‘Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama’, while a stage play Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial was held over three months in the West End.

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