Arsene Wenger: UEFA Must Come Down Hard on Arsenal Boss for Abuse of Official

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been no stranger to controversy over the years, and that has been true during the past year in particular. Wenger recently had yet another run in with an official, meaning the UEFA governing body must hand down a stern punishment.

According to Graham Dunbar of the Associated Press, Wenger was charged with improper conduct after verbally accosting a referee following the Gunners' match against AC Milan on Tuesday. Despite the fact that Arsenal won, Wenger felt the official awarded Milan too many free kicks.

Wenger chased Slovenian official Domir Skomina down the tunnel following the match and cursed at him, according to John Cross of Mirror Football. If Wenger receives a suspension, it would be his third in 12 months. He was given a one-game touchline ban last season and then an additional two-game ban after he was accused of communicating with the bench from the stands.

Whatever UEFA has been doing with regards to Wenger at this point obviously hasn't been working, so a substantial suspension is needed to curtail his actions. Being critical of an official is one thing, but chasing him toward the locker room and swearing at him shows that Wenger has an issue with anger control.

Even more puzzling is the fact that Wenger criticized the official following a victory, despite the fact his side were defeated over the two legs. Had Arsenal lost on the night, that would have been one thing. However, conventional wisdom says that Wenger should have let the bad calls roll down his back since the Gunners were able to overcome them.

Due to Wenger's history of touchline bans, it stands to reason that this one will be a bit more severe than his previous ones. Officiating is awful at times in every sport, soccer especially, but rules are in place to protect the officials from embarrassment, and Wenger needs to start following the protocol.

Of course, UEFA can't go overboard in its punishment of Wenger since he didn't physically assault the official or anything of that nature. However, he should be disciplined to the fullest extent possible. A hefty fine as well as a five-game ban would likely make Wenger think twice before degrading an official next time.

Since the Frenchman is such a high-profile coach, bringing the hammer down on him will accomplish a couple of things. Not only will it help prevent Wenger from abusing officials, but it will also likely make other managers wary of what might happen if they fly off the handle.

Ultimately, Wenger was probably right about the poor officiating, but he needs to learn to keep that to himself. The only way to ensure that happens is swift and stern action by UEFA.