Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined $33,163 and issued an official warning by the English Football Association (FA) following controversial remarks he made regarding match officials after a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in September.

The disciplinary action stems from the Premier League clash at Craven Cottage on September 20, where Manchester United salvaged a late point courtesy of an 89th-minute deflected strike from Matheus Cunha. Expressing his frustration in post-match comments, Arbeloa openly insinuated that referees were actively protecting United, remarking: “I knew after the game against Manchester City that they don’t let Manchester United lose here.”

The 43-year-old former Real Madrid coach was alluding to a prior fixture involving United, in which Erling Haaland secured a 1-0 win for a 10-man Manchester City at Old Trafford. That decisive goal had initially been disallowed for offside before being controversially awarded following an exhaustive VAR intervention.

In a formal statement released on Wednesday, the FA stated that Arbeloa was alleged to have acted in an improper manner by making statements during a post-match interview that implied bias and questioned the fundamental integrity of match officials. The governing body confirmed that the Spaniard admitted to the charge.

Arbeloa, who was appointed at Fulham in July, faces mounting pressure on the pitch as well. The London outfit remains winless under his stewardship, languishing at the bottom of the Premier League table with a mere two points collected from their opening six fixtures.

Source: www.aljazeera.com