Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, has successfully avoided a touchline ban following his criticism of the officials during Arsenal’s loss to Newcastle last month. During this outburst, Arteta strongly condemned referee Stuart Attwell’s decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s winning goal to stand after three VAR checks, describing it as a “disgrace and embarrassing.”
An independent commission, comprised of Graeme McPherson KC, former Blackburn winger Stuart Ripley, and Ken Brown, exonerated Arteta of any misconduct. The commission praised Arteta as an “impressive witness” and concluded that his remarks were not a personal attack on the integrity of the officials.
Arteta’s avoidance of a ban is likely to be met with disapproval by some referees in the sport. Despite initially charging Arteta for “prolonged” and “personally offensive” comments towards the officials, the Football Association ultimately decided not to take action against Arsenal.
Arsenal enlisted a competent legal team, led by barrister Ian Mill, to defend Arteta against the accusation. The team drew attention to instances from former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, highlighting the “weaknesses and failures” of VAR, and referencing Liverpool’s mistakenly disallowed goal at Tottenham to support their argument.
The FA’s publication of a 37-page document discussing its decision revealed that Arteta’s intended meaning of the word “disgrace” in Spanish may have been misconstrued due to a language barrier. Arsenal’s legal representatives emphasized that Arteta had used the same language in three separate TV interviews and had no intention to disparage the match officials.
The panel accepted Arteta’s assertion that he did not mean to insult any match official and that his comments were made in the best interests of the game. The club issued a statement in support of the manager’s conduct, and the FA did not pursue any action against them.
Overall, Arteta was found to possess a thorough understanding of the importance of demonstrating respect towards match officials and why such respect is crucial at every level of the sport.
Despite the controversy, Arteta retains the backing of Arsenal and has been acquitted of any wrongdoing by the FA commission. The potential impact of this ruling on the conduct of managers and players towards match officials in the future remains to be seen.
The case of Mikel Arteta serves as a significant reminder of the necessity for respect and understanding in the realm of football, particularly in the interactions between managers and players with match officials.
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