FA ask Santo to explain comments about ref Mason

THE Football Association has sought observations from Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo over comments he made about referee Lee Mason, the Press Association news agency understands.

The Portuguese criticised the official’s performance following his team’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Burnley on Monday evening and it is understood he has now been asked to explain those remarks by the game’s national governing body.

Nuno told Sky Sports after the match: “The referee does not have the quality to whistle a game in the Premier League.

“It is not about the crucial mistakes or decisions, it is about the way he handles the game. The players get nervous, too much voices, he whistles by the voices when some players are shouting.

“We are talking about the best competition and clearly he doesn’t have the quality to whistle the game. I’m very disappointed to say this but I would not feel right if I didn’t say it.

“I just don’t want to see him more - that’s what I told him. I hope he doesn’t whistle a game of ours again because all the games we have with Lee Mason are always the same.

“He cannot control the players, the players are constantly arguing - both teams. With all the other referees the game flows, there’s dialogue. He’s just not ready to do it.”

Nuno’s side were arguably lucky to finish the match with 11 men after Joao Moutinho survived a VAR check on what looked like a stamp in stoppage-time.

Post-match comments about a referee’s performance are permitted under FA regulations provided they do not imply bias, attack an official’s integrity, are not personally offensive, prolonged or particularly unreasonable.