The F.A

[Geordie1974]

Double standards again.Rafa mentions the refs name before we play Man U and gets fined 60 grand.
Guardiola mentions the same refs name before they play Man U and gets a warning.
The F.A not fit for purpose.

[toptoon]

Incompetence as usual.

[Jammy89]

Pathetic.

[Geordie_Jacko]

It's a disgrace and the club and others should complain. Wonder how much Man city paid them to only get the fine.

[Cannylad]

Double standards again.Rafa mentions the refs name before we play Man U and gets fined 60 grand.
Guardiola mentions the same refs name before they play Man U and gets a warning.
The F.A not fit for purpose.

Yes, I saw that, 'kin ridiculous what the FA gets away with.

[Sclox]

Heard somewhere the FA pay City about 70k a year for a box at their stadium. I bet they dont pay for a box at SJP.

[Kal]

Oh come on, we all know that the F A are as bent as an Arabs dagger, right ?

[MidsMagpie]

Bunch of old Dinosaurs

[Jammy89]

Will Rafa isn't happy about it either.

Rafa Benitez, the Newcastle United manager, will contact the Football Association to seek an explanation as to why he has been treated differently to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Benitez was fined £60,000 by the FA for breaking their rules which prevent a manager talking about a referee before a game back in October.

Responding to comments made by Wilfried Zaha the previous weekend, before Newcastle travelled to Selhurst Park to play Crystal Palace, Benitez said he “had confidence” in referee Andre Marriner.

The FA ruled the comments amounted to improper conduct and/or bringing the game into disrepute.

However, when Guardiola said referee Anthony Taylor “did not want to make mistakes” ahead of their game against Manchester United last month, he was merely warned by the FA.


“He is going to try to do the best job like we try as managers and football players,” Guardiola added.

Privately, Benitez is seething about the apparent double standards, but suspects his complaint will be ignored, even though he believes it is a case of one rule for managers at some clubs, and another for those at the top.

However, Telegraph Sport understands the FA felt Guardiola’s comments about Taylor were neutral and, as it was his first indiscretion, felt a warning was appropriate.

Benitez, though, had been fined before for the same breach of the rules and his comments about Marriner also included the sentence: “He has a lot of experience, even if his record with our players is not that great in terms of red cards.”

That was deemed to be trying to influence the referee’s decision-making, even though Benitez argued Zaha had done the same thing when he said it would take him getting his “leg broken” for an opponent to be shown a red card after a game against Huddersfield Town.

And he's right that it'll be ignored, because he's right it's one rule for one set of clubs and another for others.