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Ex-Fifa official: 'Serial offender' Coleman set for FA probe after Sunderland controversy
The Football Association needs to investigate John Coleman’s comments after Accrington Stanley’s 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Saturday (15 January).
That is the view of ex-Fifa and Premier League official Keith Hackett, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after Coleman swiped at the referee for “poor game management”.
As quoted by the Sunderland Echo after the game, the Stanley boss was incensed by the decision to send off Ross Sykes.
The defender was shown his first booking for dissent after 58 minutes before being shown a second yellow card just less than 20 minutes later.
He will now miss Stanley’s trip to Ipswich Town on Saturday (22 January).
“The first one was for dissent, he’s clearly said something out of turn,” Hackett said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“John Coleman is a serial offender. He’s got an agenda against referees.
“There’s a clear act of dissent where the player has crossed the line and got a yellow card. It’s nailed on.
“The second one, he’s grabbed the shirt of his opponent, stopped a promising attack and it’s a foul. It’s a second yellow, he can’t ignore it.
“If players allow him [the referee] to manage, he’ll manage. This player has pubicly had a go at the referee and it’s pretty obvious from the body language that he’s offended him.
“What the manager should do is say to his player ‘I’ve lost you for a game because you’ve opened your mouth. Play a football game’.
“This is where the FA needs to follow that up, the comment from the manager. The referee is 100 per cent right.”
In other news, Kevin Phillips has tipped Sunderland to sign a centre-back after news is confirmed.