Sir Alex Ferguson banned for five matches
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been suspended for five matches and handed a £30,000 fine following comments he made about referee Martin Atkinson earlier this month.
The FA imposed sanctions will commence on March 22 and mean Ferguson will be confined to the stands for the FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City at Wembley as well as Premier League clashes with West Ham, Fulham, Everton and, most crucially, away at Arsenal.
Premier League leaders United are just three points ahead of the Gunners, who have a game in hand.
The FA were unhappy with comments Ferguson made following a controversial 2-1 defeat at Chelsea, when the United boss said he had "feared the worst" when Atkinson was appointed match official for the Premier League clash on March 1, adding: "You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway - and we didn't get that."
An FA statement read: "At an Independent Regulatory Commission today (Wednesday) Sir Alex Ferguson was handed a touchline suspension for three matches and fined a total of £30,000. The Commission found the charge of Improper Conduct relating to media comments proven, following remarks made in relation to match official Martin Atkinson in post-match interviews after Manchester United's fixture with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 1 March 2011. Furthermore the Commission invoked a two match suspended touchline ban, relating to a previous charge of Improper Conduct in relation to media comments made in October 2009. Therefore Sir Alex Ferguson was ordered to a serve a five match touchline ban commencing on Tuesday 22 March 2011."
The United boss was angry over Atkinson's failure to dismiss Chelsea defender David Luiz for fouls on Javier Hernandez and Wayne Rooney at Stamford Bridge after he had already been booked.
He was further upset when Chelsea were awarded what he considered a "soft" winning penalty when Yuri Zhirkov took a tumble under a challenge from United centre-back Chris Smalling.
This is the fifth time in five years that Ferguson has been charged because of comments either to or about a referee.
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referees can't be touched, SAF.. even a knight like u must know.. tsk tsk.. next time, 50 matches..