Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been fined £2,500 by the
Football Association for comments he made about an assistant
referee following the Carling Cup final.
At a disciplinary hearing, the Gunners boss denied a charge of
improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute for his
remarks after the clash with Chelsea on February 23, which his side
lost after a stormy encounter.
However, the FA commission found against the Frenchman and
concluded that his use of the word lie when describing the
assistants intervention, which led to the sending off of Emmanuel
Adebayor, constituted improper conduct.
Wenger made the comment after seeing three of his players -
Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue - sent off following a
scuffle at the end of the match in Cardiff.
In bringing the charge against him in March, the FA demanded an
explanation both for his comments about the assistant referee and
his remark that "the whole system is not honest" after seeing
Adebayors appeal against a three-game ban dismissed.
Wenger said at the time: The officials made a mistake. Adebayor
did not punch Lampard and didn't intend to, we can prove it. It
isn't the truth, I don't accept it.
I cannot accept that our club is treated like this.
I will defend it to the FA. It was a lie and is not
responsible.
Both clubs were charged with failing to control their players
and/or officials as a result of the cup final melee, which also saw
Chelseas John Obi Mikel sent off.
The outcome is not the first time the FA have found against Wenger
this season.
Just last month he was fined an identical amount and warned about
his future conduct after an half-time altercation with referee
Steve Bennett during Decembers draw with Portsmouth at the
Emirates Stadium.
In December, he was fined £10,000 for his part in a touchline row
with then West Ham United manager Alan Pardew the previous
month.
With regards to the Adebayor hoo-ha, I
dare to criticise the FA openly for racism. They discriminated
against him based on colour, therefore did not clear him even
though Frank Lampard did what was right.
