Wenger facing ban for referee ‘abuse’
FA charges manager over penalty dispute Frenchman accused of swearing at Dean
Arsene Wenger is facing the prospect of a stadium ban after being accused of questioning the integrity of referee Mike Dean and verbally abusing him in the official’s room after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.
Wenger was furious that West Brom were awarded a late penalty from which they equalised and – even after receiving a four-game touchline ban last January for pushing Anthony Taylor, accusing him of “dishonesty” and, according to the official’s report, telling him to ---- off – he still angrily confronted Dean.
It is understood that the Arsenal manager has been accused of swearing at Dean during an exchange in which the referee’s impartiality was questioned. There is also a suggestion that Wenger may have entered Dean’s changing room before the 30-minute “cooling off ” period that referees can insist upon.
Wenger was formally charged by the Football Association yesterday but, before that, he also escalated his already public criticism of Dean’s decision to award a penalty when Kieran Gibbs’s cross struck Calum Chambers’s arm. “This one is a bit of a farce,” said Wenger. “He sees what he wants to see. Some decisions that have happened to us this season are unbelievable.
“That is a concerning coincidence. I was not happy at all with the movement that the referee made to show why he gave the penalty, because that didn’t correspond at all with what happened. It’s a bit worrying.”
Separate to the charge for confronting Dean, the FA will also study these comments and may seek further explanation from Wenger. Managers can criticise a referee’s performance but not question their integrity.
The incident involving Dean has already been referred to an independent commission and Wenger has until 6pm on Friday to offer his response. A decision is likely to be made early next week but a fine, touchline ban and full stadium suspension are among the potential sanctions. The fact that it is less than a year since Wenger’s previous touchline ban will also be taken into consideration.
With a video assistant referee being trialled next Monday in the FA Cup, the Premier League has stressed that technology would have aided Dean. “The angle from which Mike Dean saw the incident made it look like Calum Chambers was attempting to handle the ball,” said a spokesman for the Professional Game Match Officials. “If VAR had been in use, Mike would have made a more informed decision.”
Wenger believes that there is still inconsistency in the interpretation of handball and says that referees should stop visiting the clubs in an attempt to clarify rules. “They don’t look to have the same rule book,” said Wenger. “They should spare that visit because they never respect what they say. We want them to respect the game and make the right decision and the ego should not interfere in that.
“We should have a bigger league of referees and the guys who have a bad patch, get them to go down to the second division and promote young refs.”
Asked how he wanted referees to approach a game, Wenger said: “Quick, clear decisions.” And he added: “They have to serve the game like we have to serve the game. They have not to be the star.”
Arsenal’s referee tonight against Chelsea, when they will be without defenders Nacho Monreal, Sead Kolasinac and potentially Laurent Koscielny through injury, will again be Anthony Taylor. “I never look at the referee – I just think the guy will try to do a good job,” said Wenger.