Manchester City charged by FA for failing to control players after anger towards referee

Manchester City has been charged by the Football Association with failing to control their players after Sunday’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham.

In the final moments of the game, the referee, Simon Hooper, had stopped play just as City player Jack Grealish appeared clear on goal.

He was confronted by angry players after the final whistle at the Etihad Stadium, with striker Erling Haaland seen shouting in his face.

The Norwegian player stormed off the pitch at the end of the game and posted a message to his six million X followers with a clip of the incident and the caption: “Wtf”.

He will not face personal charges for his behaviour.

An FA statement read: “Manchester City have been charged with a breach of FA Rule E20.1 after their players surrounded the match official during the Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 3 December 2023.

“It’s alleged that, during the 94th minute of the fixture, the club failed to ensure their players do not behave in a way which is improper.”

The football club has until Thursday to respond to the charge.

In February, City were fined £75,000 by an independent panel for failing to control their players during a Premier League victory over Arsenal that same month.

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Players using social media after a game to criticise match officials’ “performance or competence” is included in the FA’s regulations.

“Wtf” fell outside those criteria, officials decided.