Man City star Erling Haaland could face FA charge following furious outburst at referee Simon Hooper.
Erling Haaland’s furious outburst at referee Simon Hooper during Manchester City’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham on Sunday could land him in trouble with the Football Association (FA). The Norway international was brought down by Emerson Royal on the halfway line but got to his feet to thread a ball through for Jack Grealish. However, Hooper called play back for a City free-kick, denying Grealish a potentially match-winning chance deep into stoppage time. Haaland was outraged by the decision and furiously berated Hooper in disgust before leaving the pitch.
Haaland’s reaction saw him shown a yellow card, but he could face further punishment if the FA deems his social media post to be a breach of Rule E3.1, governing social media comments or remarks made in the media. Shortly after the game, the striker wrote ‘WTF’ on his Twitter account after sharing a clip of the incident.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was charged with a breach under the same rule after his outburst that followed the Gunners’ controversial defeat to Newcastle United in early November. If set, Haaland could face a fine or a possible ban.
Pep Guardiola defended his striker’s reaction post-match, saying that “his reaction was the same for ten players.” The City boss added, “The rules are you cannot talk with the referees or fourth officials, so we should have had ten players sent off today. He’s a little bit disappointed.”
Guardiola also stated that “even the referee — if he played for Man City today, he would be disappointed for that action, that’s for sure,” and that “sometimes on the touchline I lose my mind, my gestures are not proper, but we didn’t draw for that. Spurs are happy with a point; we are a little less happy.”
Whether the FA will take any action against Haaland remains to be seen, but the incident has once again highlighted the need for players to control their emotions on the pitch and social media.
© 2024 M10News
