LONDON — Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson announced Friday that he will appeal against a Football Association charge of improper conduct after he criticized referee Martin Atkinson.
The Red Devils boss was unhappy with Atkinson during his side’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the English Premier League (EPL) on Tuesday night.
Ferguson was angered that the official failed to show Chelsea defender David Luiz a second yellow card for a trip on Wayne Rooney before the visitors scored a decisive penalty and United then had Nemanja Vidic sent off.
“You want a fair referee, or a strong referee anyway — and we didn’t get that,” Ferguson told United’s TV channel, MUTV, in the aftermath of the game. “I must say, when I saw who the referee was I feared it. I feared the worst.”
Ferguson had until next Tuesday afternoon to respond to charges but chose to do so quickly, despite the fact that an unsuccessful appeal could lead to a longer spell on the sidelines.
The 69-year-old already has two matches of a four-game ban still lingering following comments last season about the fitness of referee Alan Wiley.
The additional two game ban would come into effect should the veteran manager be found guilty of his latest alleged indiscretion, creating the possibility of Ferguson being absent from the sidelines for key games in the title run-in.
The potential ruling could render Ferguson unable to oversee United’s FA Cup sixth-round tie with Arsenal at Old Trafford on March 12, plus the EPL encounter with Bolton seven days later.
