Ian Holloway blames EU for the new handball rule

Ian Holloway, ex-footballer and former manager of QPR, Blackpool, Leicester and Crystal Palace, now TV pundit, has suggested that the EU is to blame for the new FA handball rules.

The new Premier League handball rule states that "Any goal scored or created with the use of the hand or arm will be disallowed this season, even if it is accidental," - which seems very reasonable.

However, the introduction of VAR has already created some controversial decisions, most recently when a goal from Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus was ruled out in the closing stages of Saturday's game against Tottenham due to the ball slightly brushing against City defender Aymeric Laporte's hand.

Despite being a City player, the goal didn't stand. Some think that the rule is too strict.

However, former manager and player Ian Holloway is the only one who seems to blame the EU for it. In a slightly odd speech on Sky Sports' The Debate, Holloway said:

For me, it doesn't make sense, the handball rule. If it's not handball for both, how can you assess that? And to be fair, is that clear and obvious?

They forgot the most important thing of all. Their job is to not re-referee the game but to be clear and obvious, so I don't think that's our boys making up that new change of law. I think that's people telling us what we need to do with our game.

Now, they should stop doing that.

At this stage, it wasn't quite clear who 'they' were, much less 'our boys' - but Holloway went on to say:

I hope we get out. Brexit. Because that's what people are voting for and [we need to] sort it out because you cannot have someone telling us how to do our own game.

It makes even less sense when you consider that of the eight IFA board members who made the rule, four are British.

The clip has since gone viral and Holloway has found himself being royally mocked for making such a ridiculous statement.

Holloway has since come out and denied the claims that he was blaming Brexit, saying 'I'm not that stupid.' The jury is out.

More: Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp says Brexit will leave UK 'weaker' and calls for 'common sense'