He said the forbidden! Fulham boss charged for explosive referee rant
The FA have come down on Alvaro Arbeloa: the Fulham manager is charged with misconduct over his explosive comments about the refereeing against Manchester United.
Details: After Fulham's dramatic 1-1 draw with United, settled by Matheus Cunha's 89th minute equalizer, Arbeloa claimed officials refused to let Manchester United lose. The FA alleges he acted improperly by implying bias and questioning the integrity of match officials in his post match interview. He has until Thursday, October 1, to respond to the charge.
The frustration behind the rant is understandable: Fulham were minutes away from a first league win of the season before United's late sting. But questioning an official's integrity is the one line managers cross at their peril, and the FA moved fast. A fine or even a touchline ban now looms over the Spaniard, just as Fulham need their leader most in a brutal early season fight.
It's worth noting that Arbeloa is hardly the first manager to pay for honesty, and the debate about big club bias will outlive any punishment. The FA can sanction the words, but not the question he raised.
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Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
