FA charges Man City, not Haaland for ref reaction vs. Spurs

Erling Haaland escaped any sanction from the English Football Association for his reaction to referee Simon Hooper's decision to stop play in Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Tottenham on Sunday, but the Premier League champions were accused of failing to control the behavior of their players. .

City striker Haaland responded to a video clip on writing “Wtf.

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FA sources, however, told ESPN that Haaland's message did not breach rules on media comments and social media activity.

Haaland, the Premier League's top scorer this season, also avoided censure for angrily confronting Hooper on the pitch following the decision to whistle when Grealish received the ball.

The incident involving Haaland and Hooper is at the heart of City's accusation of breaching FA rule E20.1 in terms of the conduct of their players.

Haaland led a group of players, including Rúben Dias and Mateo Kovacic, who surrounded Hooper to protest the decision.

In a statement, the FA said: “Manchester City have been accused of breaching FA Rule E20.1 after their players surrounded the match official during the Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday 3 December 2023.

“It is alleged that in the 94th minute of the match the club failed to ensure that its players did not behave in an inappropriate manner.

“Manchester City has until Thursday December 7, 2023 to respond to this charge.”

Sources told ESPN that no further charges would be filed against players or coaching staff on either side.