>
Roberto de Zerbi will miss Brighton’s game with West Ham, serving a game suspension for inappropriate behavior after abusing officials after seeing red in the Fulham defeat… and the manager has also been fined £15,000 for say ‘I didn’t like the referee’s attitude’
- Roberto de Zerbi will not be in the Brighton band for the West Ham game
- The Seagulls boss has been given a one-game ban and a £15,000 fine for abuse
- He admitted inappropriate behavior after Brighton’s loss to Fulham last month.
Roberto de Zerbi will not be on the touchline for Brighton’s game with West Ham on Saturday after he was handed a one-match suspension by the FA.
The Brighton manager admitted to inappropriate behavior on the pitch at full time in their Premier League clash with Fulham in February, criticizing the officials who sent him off during the 1-0 defeat.
As punishment for his post-match language towards referee Darren England in the post-match tunnel, de Zerbi has been fined £15,000 and will be suspended from the touchline for one game – Saturday’s home game against the Hammers.
While de Zerbi disputed the ruling, he said he will honor the decision. He told reporters he wasn’t worried about how his players would manage without him.
De Zerbi said: ‘I think I didn’t make any mistakes in terms of respect.
Roberto de Zerbi will serve a one-game touchline suspension for abusing the referee last month
The Brighton manager was sent off during the 1-0 loss to Fulham and criticized the official
The players know what to do. I am lucky to be the coach of this squad. It’s not a problem for them if I’m not on the bench, although of course I prefer to stay on the bench. It’s my life.’
An official statement from the FA read: ‘Brighton & Hove Albion’s Roberto De Zerbi has been suspended from the touchline for one match and fined £15,000 following their Premier League game against Fulham on Saturday 18 February.
The head coach admitted that his behavior on the pitch at full time was inappropriate, and that his subsequent behavior and/or language in the tunnel towards a match official was abusive and/or insulting and/or inappropriate.
“An independent regulatory commission imposed its sanctions after a subsequent hearing.”
In the aftermath of the 1-0 home defeat on 18 February, de Zerbi criticized the ‘attitude’ of the referee and said he was wrong to be sent off, claiming England erred in attributing inappropriate language to him, rather than a opposing player.
De Zerbi went on to state that the standard of refereeing in the Premier League is “very bad”, and that discussions on the matter with chief referee Howard Webb had also been unsuccessful.
Relegation-threatened West Ham travel to AmEx on Saturday to take on Brighton, who currently sit eighth in the Premier League, four points behind Fulham.
More to follow…