Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined £25,000 for making public allegations of referee bias following his side's match against Manchester United. The English Football Association punished the Spaniard for his claims that officials aided the Manchester club in avoiding defeat.
The controversy erupted following a late goal from Mateus Cunha, which allowed Manchester United to equalise. Arbeloa was visibly frustrated with the officiating and did not hold back in voicing his displeasure after the game.
In an interview with Sky Sports, the Spaniard stated:
All the fouls were being called in their favour. Look at the incident before the goal, a foul on Harry Maguire. This is a man who weighs under a hundred kilograms. Every decision went their way.
Arbeloa also suggested that after Manchester United's previous encounter with Manchester City, the referees seemed inclined to help them.
The manager added:
I knew this. After the match with Manchester City, I understood that Manchester United wouldn’t be allowed to lose here.
We deserved more. We were very close to victory, but luck was not on our side again.
The FA launched a disciplinary charge against Arbeloa, who admitted to the breach and subsequently received the fine.
This punishment comes at a particularly challenging time for the manager, as Fulham remains the only team without a victory in the current Premier League season, sitting rock bottom of the table.
Last weekend, the Londoners once again dropped points, squandering a lead against Ipswich, one of their rivals in the relegation battle.
According to The Sun, Fulham’s hierarchy is already weighing up a move to dismiss Arbeloa. The fate of the Spaniard could be decided in the upcoming matches against newly promoted teams Hull and Coventry.
If the team fails to secure positive results, Arbeloa risks losing his job with the pressure now heightened after his comments on officiating, highlighting the urgency for him to turn the club's fortunes around.
