Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined £25,000 following comments he made about the officiating during last month's 1-1 draw with Manchester United. The Football Association charged the 43-year-old with misconduct after he implied bias and questioned the integrity of match official Peter Bankes.
Arbeloa, a former Liverpool and Real Madrid defender, criticised the referee after Matheus Cunha's late equaliser for Fulham. He suggested Bankes favoured Michael Carrick's side, referencing the previous week's controversy when Erling Haaland's goal for Manchester City against United was allowed to stand.
Post-match comments and FA charge
Following the draw, Arbeloa said: "All fouls for them. You can see before they scored, the foul against [Harry] Maguire, he's a guy who is 100 kilos. Every decision was for them."
He added: "And I knew. I knew after the game against Man City that they [would not] let Manchester United lose here. We deserved a little bit more."
The FA's statement read: "It was alleged that the Fulham head coach acted in an improper manner by making comments in a post-match interview that imply bias and/or question the integrity of a match official. Alvaro Arbeloa subsequently admitted the charge."
Pressure mounts on Arbeloa
Fulham sit bottom of the Premier League with two points from their opening six games. Ipswich Town came from behind to beat Fulham at Portman Road last week, adding to the pressure on Arbeloa.
In a later press conference, Arbeloa attempted to soften his remarks, saying: "My English is not so good. Maybe I explain myself so bad and I prefer not to say anything about the referees because you never know."
He continued: "When you say something that you don't have to say, it's better to stay calm, focus on the performance of my team and focus on the next game."
