Guardiola warned by FA over referee comments
Pep Guardiola has been warned by the Football Association for his pre-Manchester derby comments regarding referee Anthony Taylor.
The Manchester City manager was asked by the FA to clarify his remarks about Taylor, which were made after the official's Manchester derby appointment provoked debate.
Taylor hails from Wythenshawe in south Manchester, some six miles from Manchester United’s Old Trafford home, and is a supporter of non-league Altrincham.
Guardiola was asked about Taylor's appointment at his pre-derby press conference and called on the
official to “make good decisions for both sides”.
Managers are prohibited from publicly discussing referees before matches, even in a complimentary manner, in case their comments influence the official’s decisions.
However, given that his remarks were not provocative and this was his first offence of this kind, the FA merely warned the City manager.
Guardiola can expect to receive a hefty fine if he speaks about officials prior to a game in the future.
Jose Mourinho, his Manchester United counterpart, received a formal warning while in charge of Chelsea for comments made about referee Neil Swarbrick in 2014.
Two years later, Mourinho was charged with misconduct and fined £50,000 after speaking about Taylor’s appointment to a match between United and Liverpool.