Ranting Wenger told referee: ‘You are a disgrace’
AN ‘aggressive’ Arsene Wenger accused referee Mike Dean of being dishonest and a ‘disgrace’ after Arsenal’s controversial match at West Brom on New Year’s Eve. The Arsenal boss was incensed when Dean awarded the hosts an 89th-minute penalty and barged into the referee’s dressing room after the 1-1 draw, according to an FA report. Wenger was given a three-match touchline ban and fined £40,000, with the FA concluding there was ‘simply no justification’ for his behaviour. The Frenchman was also warned about his comments before and after Arsenal’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea on January 3, when he again complained about the West Brom game, saying Dean ‘saw what he wanted to see’ and suggested there was a refereeing bias against his team. The FA report, released yesterday, featured written testimony from Dean, his assistant referees and the fourth official, who all recorded almost identical accounts of events. Dean wrote: ‘As we’ve entered the dressing room after the game, Mr Wenger stood behind us in the doorway and told the West Brom steward to “let him in”. He was very aggressive, leaning towards me, pointing aggressively at me, saying: “You’re not honest.” I replied: “So you’re calling me a cheat.” ‘He replied: “I maintain what I say, you’re not honest... you’ve done this to us many times before, you’re supposed to be professional, you’re a disgrace”.’ Wenger admitted the charge, while Arsenal submitted a ‘detailed response’. The FA report said: ‘Mr Wenger is an incredibly experienced manager. He has occupied this position since 1996. This is his second misconduct charge within a 12-month period. There is no justification for this behaviour.’ Meanwhile, Henrikh Mkhitaryan is expected to join Arsenal from Manchester United despite a warning from his agent he could try to derail Alexis Sanchez’s transfer to Old Trafford. Mkhitaryan’s move edged closer after it became clear United have beaten Manchester City in the race to sign Sanchez. Mkhitaryan’s agent Mino Raiola insisted he will either leave on his own terms or stall and jeopardise the swap deal with Sanchez. However, it is understood Mkhitaryan accepts he has no future at United and is now looking to negotiate an increase on his £140,000-a-week contract when he moves. Raiola, who earned a staggering £41million from Paul Pogba’s £89m move to United from Juventus, would also be due a cut of the deal. He said: ‘This is a great deal for Arsenal but right now a deal is a long way off. Manchester United are not going to sign Sanchez unless Mkhi agrees to join Arsenal. Sanchez is part of Mkhi’s deal. Not the other way around.’