Alvaro Arbeloa Fined $33,000 for Criticizing Officiating
Report – INA
The English Football Association (FA) announced on Wednesday that it has imposed a fine of £25,000 (approximately $33,000) on Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa. The fine follows comments he made criticizing the officiating after his team's Premier League match against Manchester United.
Reuters reported that the FA decided to fine Arbeloa and issue him a formal warning regarding statements made after Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United on September 20.
The agency added that Arbeloa implicitly accused the match officials of bias toward Manchester United—after the latter equalized in the 89th minute through Matheus Cunha—suggesting that officiating decisions favored the visiting team.
In an official statement, the FA explained that the Fulham manager had acted improperly by making comments implying bias or questioning the integrity of a match official. It noted that Arbeloa admitted to the charge before an independent regulatory commission decided to impose the financial penalty and issue the warning.
Arbeloa had expressed dissatisfaction with the officiating decisions after the match, believing Manchester United benefited from them, and linked the situation to controversial decisions seen in his team's previous match against Manchester City. The 43-year-old Spanish manager is in his first season with Fulham, having taken charge last July; meanwhile, the club is struggling with poor results in the Premier League, sitting at the bottom of the table with two points from six matches and yet to secure a win.