• Premier League

Ferguson slapped with five-match ban

ESPNsoccernet staff
March 16, 2011
The sanctions against Sir Alex Ferguson will come into place on March 22 © Getty Images
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been suspended for five matches and handed a £30,000 fine following comments he made about referee Martin Atkinson earlier this month.

Following a controversial 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, Ferguson said he had "feared the worst" when Atkinson was appointed match official for the Premier League clash on March 1, adding: "You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that."

The FA's disciplinary board has imposed a three-match touchline ban and activated a suspended two-match ban that hung over the United manager after he accused referee Alan Wiley of being "not fit" after a 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford last season.

The sanctions will begin from March 22 and means Ferguson will be confined to the stands for the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City at Wembley as well as Premier League clashes with West Ham, Fulham, Everton and away at Arsenal.

A FA statement read: "At an Independent Regulatory Commission today Sir Alex Ferguson was handed a touchline suspension for three matches and fined a total of £30,000. The Commission found the charge of improper conduct relating to media comments proven, following remarks made in relation to match official Martin Atkinson in post-match interviews after Manchester United's fixture with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 1 March 2011. Furthermore the Commission invoked a two match suspended touchline ban, relating to a previous charge of improper conduct in relation to media comments made in October 2009. Therefore Sir Alex Ferguson was ordered to a serve a five match touchline ban commencing on Tuesday 22 March 2011."

The United boss was angry over Atkinson's failure to dismiss Chelsea defender David Luiz for fouls on Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney at Stamford Bridge after he had already been booked.

He was further upset when Chelsea were awarded what he considered a "soft" winning penalty when Yuri Zhirkov took a tumble under a challenge from United centre-back Chris Smalling.

With Premier League leaders United just three points ahead of Arsenal, who have a game in hand, Ferguson's lengthy suspension could have a big impact on the title race.

This is the fifth time in five years that Ferguson has been charged because of comments either to or about a referee.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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