Exclusive: Man United face FA punishment after incident v Brighton
Man United could face punishment from the FA after their players surrounded the referee in the lead-up to Joao Pedro’s disallowed goal at Old Trafford.
The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official explained that Peter Bankes will issue a report of the situation to the FA, who will then decide whether to sanction United following a review.
Pedro’s goal was ultimately chalked off after a VAR review, but it had little impact on the final score as Brighton went on to take all three points with a 3-1 win.
Goals from Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma came either side of a Bruno Fernandes penalty, before a mistake from Andre Onana gifted Georginio Rutter the game’s final goal.
Hackett explained that disallowing the goal was the correct decision after a “careless challenge” in the buildup – but that does not justify the United players’ reactions.
Man United face FA charge after referee report v Brighton
Amorim’s side were brought crashing back down to earth after draws against both Liverpool and Arsenal earlier this month, and have now dropped to 13th in the table.
Just seven wins, five draws and ten defeats from their 22 games so far this season have led to a growing feeling of frustration at Old Trafford.
A deserved defeat against Brighton has only compounded their misery, and they may now face an FA fine on top of the defeat after their behaviour towards the referee.
Pedro thought he had put the seagulls in front after a scramble in the box fell to his feet to fire home following a free-kick, but a quick check saw his strike ruled out.
In reaction to replays of the disallowed effort which were quickly shared online, Hackett explained VAR official Craig Pawson was right to send Bankes over to the screen for a review.
“It was the correct decision to disallow the goal,” he told Football Insider.
“He clearly kicks the bottom of the foot. A careless challenge.”
However, following the goal which was initially allowed by the on-field referee, United’s players immediately surrounded the official to protest the decision.
This, Hackett explained, will be reported to the FA who will then decide whether to sanction the club after reviewing referee’s assessment of the incident.
“When three or more players surround the referee, he has to report this on the Special Incident electronic report form.
“The FA then review and determine if a sanction should be issued.
“We witnessed in the UEFA competitions only the captain allowed to speak to the referee.
“It is a pity that this policy was not adopted in the Premier League.
“In recent weeks, we have witnessed an escalation of players surrounding the referee.
“Referees need to be tougher when faced with this problem and act with appropriate sanctions on the field of play.”
In other news, ‘huge’ update on Alejandro Garnacho to Tottenham.
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