Fulham coach Arbeloa fined for comments about referee after Premier League draw with Man United

Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa was fined £25,000 ($33,200) and received a warning after making comments following a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the Premier League. The Spanish coach accepted a charge of "acting in an improper manner" regarding his remarks made after the match at Fulham's Craven Cottage on September 20. Speaking at the time, Arbeloa stated that all fouls were against Manchester United, and he believed that every decision favored them, adding that he had known prior to the match against Manchester City that the referee did not let United lose at Craven Cottage.

The independent commission investigating the incident found that Arbeloa's comments suggested bias on the part of the officials, potentially even with premeditation, to compensate for an error in a previous match. Arbeloa, who joined Fulham in his first managerial role after leaving Real Madrid, faces the financial penalty and disciplinary warning.