Spurs stunned as FA rap Pochettino
Two-match ban and £10k fine for ref row
Mauricio Pochettino will be banned from the touchline for Tottenham’s games at Southampton and Liverpool and has been fined £10,000 for his confrontation with referee Mike Dean.
Spurs were stunned by the severity of the penalty which was confirmed by the Fa hours after Pochettino led his side into the quarter-finals of the champions League with a 4-0 aggregate win against Borussia Dortmund.
The club hoped their manager’s contrition and public apology — and a previous good record — would count in his favour but there will be no appeal because he accepted the two charges of improper conduct.
Pochettino confronted Dean on the pitch after Tottenham’s defeat at Burnley last month and again in the tunnel area.
cameras caught him challenging the referee to repeat something he said for the benefit of the TV audience but if Dean did say anything inflammatory, it is not expected to be disclosed by the disciplinary process, even when the reasons are published.
Pochettino will be banned from the dugout and technical area at St Mary’s and anfield but will be allowed to address his team in the dressing room before the matches and at half-time.
‘He will be missed but it is up to us to step up and deliver the performance,’ said defender Toby alderweireld. ‘We have a clear idea of how we want to play and he will show us before the game what we need to do.
‘The group is mature enough to play the way he wants and the technical staff is big enough to cope with it.’
Tottenham, having played European games at Wembley for the past three seasons, are locked in another race against the clock as they strive to open their new stadium in time for the champions League quarter-finals.
The draw is a week tomorrow and the first of the last- eight games will be on Tuesday, april 9. UEFA expect to have some clarity on the club’s preferred venue next week.
‘The new stadium will be massive for us and i hope we can play there in the next game,’ said alderweireld. ‘Even if we have never played a game there it will be like our home.’
The stadium is close to completion but the club must hold two test events before a safety certificate can be issued and Spurs are cleared to move in.