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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson faces two-match ban for criticism of Martin Atkinson
The Football Association will study footage of Sir Alex Ferguson’s post-match interview with MUTV, Manchester United’s in-house television channel, before deciding whether to charge him for comments made about referee Martin Atkinson after Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
The Manchester United manager is under threat of an automatic two-match touchline ban, with the possibility of a stiffer sanction, if the FA charges Ferguson for his condemnation of Atkinson.
After seeing captain Nemanja Vidic dismissed for two yellow cards and Chelsea defender David Luiz escaping a second booking for a foul on Wayne Rooney before the home side’s 78th-minute penalty, Ferguson was withering in his criticism of the referee.
“It was a major game for both clubs and you want a fair referee. You want a strong referee and we didn’t get that,” Ferguson said.
“I don’t know why he [Atkinson] got the game. I must say that when I saw who was refereeing it, I feared the worst.”
The FA’s disciplinary unit is expected to announce its decision on Thursday but has until 4pm on Friday to charge Ferguson for his comments, which could be viewed as questioning the integrity of West Yorkshire official Atkinson.
Having been hit with a four-match touchline ban — with two suspended until the end of this season unless Ferguson falls foul of the FA again, after claiming Alan Wiley was “not fit enough for a game of that standard” following a 2-2 draw with Sunderland in Oct 2009 – any punishment here would trigger the suspended touchline ban.
The FA will review Ferguson’s comments made to MUTV and Sky before deciding on whether to pursue disciplinary measures.
But with Ferguson’s interview with MUTV appearing to prove more critical of Atkinson in calling for a “fair referee”, there is the possibility that his fate rests in the hands of his own club’s television station.
Central to the FA’s decision is whether they perceive Ferguson to have questioned the referee’s integrity, but it is understood that reviewing the post-match interviews in video form could work in the manager’s favour should the context of his comments be judged to be less incendiary in spoken word rather than print.
If Ferguson is charged by the FA, he will have three working days to respond, but it is understood that he will plead not guilty, thereby avoiding a ban being imposed in time for Sunday’s Premier League trip to Liverpool. A not guilty plea by Ferguson would ensure a regulatory commission early next week.
Tuesday’s criticism was the latest episode of Ferguson finding fault with the official. The United manager was charged by the FA in March 2008, but found not guilty, after claiming former head of Premier League referees Keith Hackett was “not doing his job properly” following Atkinson’s performance during an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth at Old Trafford.
Ferguson then railed against Atkinson following a 1-0 defeat at Chelsea in Nov 2009 when he described the awarding of a free-kick which led to the home side’s goal as “absolutely ridiculous” before claiming he was losing his “faith in refereeing”. On that occasion, Ferguson was not charged.
Ironically, Atkinson came under fire from former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes last season for awarding six minutes of stoppage time, during which Michael Owen scored a late winner, in United’s 4-3 Premier League victory against City at Old Trafford in Sept 2009.
Ferguson’s latest comments have been backed by midfielder Michael Carrick, who said: “Some decisions didn’t go our way and we’re on the end of a defeat, which is very hard to take. You have to get big decisions right in games of that importance.”