Traffic Shock for Liverpool's Goalkeeper: Mamardashvili Caught Watching Video at the Wheel

Liverpool's Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili came onto the agenda with a headline beyond his performance on the pitches. According to reports by the BBC and ITV News Granada, the 25-year-old goalkeeper was stopped by police while watching a video on his phone at the wheel of his Audi vehicle on the M6 motorway. The incident took place at around 3:45pm on January 27, on the southbound carriageway between Junctions 23 and 21 of the motorway.

The police pulled the vehicle over after spotting the player holding his phone close to the steering wheel and took the goalkeeper into the back seat of the patrol car. It was stated that all footage of the incident was recorded on the officer's body-worn camera. Mamardashvili identified himself to police using a Georgian driving licence.

The legal process of the case also moved quickly. Mamardashvili did not respond to the prosecution notice from the police; for this reason, the case was heard at Warrington Combined Court in a private hearing of what is called the "Single Justice Procedure." The court convicted the player of "using a handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle."

The penalty given can be summarized as follows: a £440 fine, 6 penalty points on his licence, £120 in court costs, and £176 victim surcharge. In the licence-points system, 6 points means a serious sanction; British drivers can lose their licences when they reach 12 points.

Mamardashvili made 20 appearances for Liverpool this season, recording 3 clean sheets. The Georgian goalkeeper took on an important role in goal in the absence of his teammate Alisson Becker, whose injury continued throughout the season. The goalkeeper had transferred from Valencia to Liverpool last summer for €30 million plus €5 million in bonuses.

In conclusion, Mamardashvili, who plays on football's brightest stages, has brought unwanted attention to both himself and his club with this mistake about traffic rules. For the goalkeeper, this meant seeing a "card" — not on the pitch, but in the legal sense.