English clubs have paid a whopping £1.3m this season for referee abuse… with one Premier League team well ahead of the other 19 after being fined £185,000 by the FA for aggressive behavior.
English professional clubs have shelled out a staggering £1.3m in referee abuse fines this season, according to reports.
The FA, the governing body of English soccer, has collected £1,279,375 so far this season from more than 100 fines imposed on teams in the Premier League and the English Football League (EFL).
The staggering figures revealed by Sun shortly after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic received a red card for shoving referee Chris Kavanagh in his team’s 3-1 FA Cup loss against Manchester United on Sunday.
Mitrovic, his teammate Willian (for a handball on the goal line) and manager Marco Silva (for disagreement) saw their marching orders in a bizarre 40 seconds at Old Trafford, with the Serb and Silva yet to discover their potential sanctions.
The Sun adds that 54 out of 92 teams have been fined this season for foul-mouthing players and managers, with only five Premier League teams escaping punishment for it, just five years after Wembley relaunched its ‘Respect’ campaign.
English clubs have paid £1.3m in fines for referee abuse this season, according to reports
The news comes shortly after Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic (right) was sent off for shoving referee Chris Kavanagh (left) in his team’s 3-1 FA Cup loss against Man United on Sunday.
Official abuse is a real problem across English football, with just five Premier League teams escaping punishment for the offense and 54 of the 92 professional clubs penalized for abuse.
One top-flight club in particular is clear of fines for foul-mouthed rants
And one top-tier club in particular stands head and shoulders above the rest when it comes to disappointing and aggressive behavior on the pitch.
Arsenal top the Premier League table in both penalties and points.
The Gunners have already paid £185,000 for the offence, having been accused of “failing to control their players” on four different occasions.
Their manager, Mikel Arteta, has been criticized for his overly animated behavior on the touchline and it seems his anger is rubbing off on his players.
Manchester United (£137,000) and Everton (£115,000) are in the dubious position of second and third.
They are the only other parties forced to pay a six-figure sum for abuse.
Prem’s punished 15 sides have reportedly been fined a total of £932,500.
However, he is expected to pass the million mark when the FA puts Mitrovic and Silva on trial.
The biggest single fine this season was for Manchester City, £75,000 on February 15, in their 3-1 win against Arsenal at the Emirates in a heavyweight title clash.
Senior FA officials are said to have written to all clubs to remind players, managers and coaches of their responsibilities.
The reminder comes at a crucial time, especially since the behavior of stars is likely to be replicated at the grassroots level, where violence towards referees is a real problem.
A spokesman told the Sun: ‘Referees and match officials play a vital role in our national sport.
Any inappropriate behavior towards them is completely unacceptable.
“Players, coaches, support staff and club officials have a responsibility to treat them with respect, and action will be taken against anyone involved in English football where there is evidence they have failed to meet that standard.”
Questions remain as to whether the fines are still a real deterrent, given that many players in the Arsenal squad, for example, earn more each week than the club was fined for their abusive behaviour.