LONDON — Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has refused to back down from his recent criticism of Premier League referees.

Wenger also claimed Eden Hazard should have been booked for a dive in the incident that saw Chelsea awarded a penalty in their 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

The manager has hit out at what he perceives to be falling standards in Premier League refereeing and said he was “shocked” to be charged by the Football Association over an alleged confrontation with Mike Dean following Sunday’s draw at West Brom.

Wenger was incensed by a late penalty decision in that game and then called Chelsea’s penalty at the Emirates “farcical.”

He has been asked by the FA to provide observations about those comments.

But speaking at a news conference ahead of the FA Cup match against Nottingham Forest, he said: “I maintain what I said in the press conference 100 percent, and I have nothing to change in that.

“I’m in England for 21 years, I try to serve this game with honesty and integrity and when I have something to say I will say it. On that front, nothing will change. Never.

“I think it was a yellow card for Hazard, 100 percent. But I have a right to have my opinion and I respect everybody’s opinion.”

Wenger also admitted that Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere may have dived in a second-half incident that some pundits felt warranted a second yellow card for the midfielder.

“Yes, maybe he did,” he said. “But why should that change my opinion on the penalty? Nothing to do with it. Every situation is different.”

Wenger said he had not requested a personal FA hearing to plead his case after being charged, having said after the Chelsea game that he would contest it.

However, he did not confirm on Friday whether he would contest the charge or admit it in order to get a reduced touchline ban.

“At the moment, I’m focused on football,” he said. “If you imagine that I’m 21 years in the game, and what I’ve seen and heard in the corridors from people, you can quite understand that I’m surprised and shocked by having been charged.”

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The Arsenal manager said he had the right to demand a higher standard of refereeing after having led calls for Premier League officials to become full-time.

“We can talk and talk,” he said. “At the end of the day, we always spend time on talking about things that are not really important in the game.

“What we want is to see big football games, we have big players on the football pitch, and you want them to be refereed by top-quality people.

“And I think I contributed a lot to give referees a great opportunity to be at their best because I had a huge influence on the fact that they became professional.

“I believe I had more of a positive influence on that, and that’s why I can as well be demanding. That’s what I want from them is to be at their top. And I’m quite surprised that that is shocking.”

An FA touchline ban could see Wenger miss both Sunday’s FA Cup game and the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal against Chelsea on Wednesday.

But having been invited to his former Monaco player George Weah’s presidential inauguration in Liberia, he said: “Maybe if I’m suspended I will have time to go.”

Source: espn.co.uk

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The English Football Association late on Tuesday charged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for comments against match officials after the 1-1 Premier League draw at West Bromwich Albion on New Year’s Eve.

“It is alleged his language and/or behavior in the match officials’ changing room after the game was abusive and/or improper and/or questioned the integrity of the match referee,” the FA said in a statement.

Wenger has until Friday to respond to the charge.

The Frenchman was handed a four-match ban for misconduct last January for pushing the fourth official after his team’s 2-1 win over Burnley, and risks another suspension for his latest outburst.

Sunday had seen Wenger surpass former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson’s Premier League record with his 811th game in charge at one team, but that was soured by the outcome.

Dean awarded an 89th minute penalty after Calum Chambers was adjudged to have handled in the area, with Jay Rodriguez converting to deny Arsenal victory and provoke a furious reaction.

Wenger, whose team saw out 2017 in fifth place, was spoken to by Dean.

“I did fight many years ago for referees to become professional, but unfortunately their levels do not go up. It is difficult to accept,” the manager told Sky Sports afterwards. 

Earlier, Wenger moved to allay the fears of Arsenal fans saying he would replace both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil with world-class players should they end up leaving.

Both Sanchez, who came close to moving to Manchester City on the final day of the last transfer window in August, and Ozil’s contracts are up at the end of the present season.

Sanchez’s attitude and commitment to the club have been questioned by fans and some of his teammates did not congratulate the 29-year-old Chilean after he scored a double in the 3-2 Premier League win over Crystal Palace last Thursday.

Wenger, whose transfer dealings have been a sore point with sections of the Arsenal support, said he would also be on the look-out for players in the present transfer window.

“We are open to any position for the exceptional player that can give us a plus. It depends a little bit on the injuries as well,” said the Arsenal manager on the eve of its match with reigning Premier League champion Chelsea.

“On the other hand it depends if we manage to extend the contracts of the players who are at the end of their contracts in June. It will depend on that as well. We have to take the consequences of those decisions and respond to it.

“How we cope with that, first of all we have not lost them yet, and secondly we will respond to that by bringing in players of top quality. This club has lost many, many big players and has always responded well.”

However, the 68-year-old Frenchman refuted suggestions he was targeting Chelsea’s Brazil center-back David Luiz or French international midfielder Thomas Lemar from Monaco.

The failure to sign 22-year-old Lemar back in August led to the collapse of the Sanchez move to Manchester City.

“I don’t want to think about any special names, but these reports are wrong,” said Wenger, whose side is currently fifth in the table, six points behind Liverpool in fourth but with a game in hand.

As for catching runaway leader City, Wenger said there is the slimmest glimmer of hope for its rival given its two recent performances — a 1-0 win away at struggling Newcastle United and then a 0-0 draw on Sunday against relegation-threatened Crystal Palace.

“They have shown signs of being less dominant,” said Wenger, whose side are 21 points behind City.”One of the teams behind need to have a perfect run and they (City) need to collapse a bit.” 

AFP

The English Football Association late on Tuesday charged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for comments against match officials after the 1-1 Premier League draw at West Bromwich Albion on New Year’s Eve.

“It is alleged his language and/or behavior in the match officials’ changing room after the game was abusive and/or improper and/or questioned the integrity of the match referee,” the FA said in a statement.

Wenger has until Friday to respond to the charge.

The Frenchman was handed a four-match ban for misconduct last January for pushing the fourth official after his team’s 2-1 win over Burnley, and risks another suspension for his latest outburst.

Sunday had seen Wenger surpass former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson’s Premier League record with his 811th game in charge at one team, but that was soured by the outcome.

Dean awarded an 89th minute penalty after Calum Chambers was adjudged to have handled in the area, with Jay Rodriguez converting to deny Arsenal victory and provoke a furious reaction.

Wenger, whose team saw out 2017 in fifth place, was spoken to by Dean.

“I did fight many years ago for referees to become professional, but unfortunately their levels do not go up. It is difficult to accept,” the manager told Sky Sports afterwards. 

Earlier, Wenger moved to allay the fears of Arsenal fans saying he would replace both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil with world-class players should they end up leaving.

Both Sanchez, who came close to moving to Manchester City on the final day of the last transfer window in August, and Ozil’s contracts are up at the end of the present season.

Sanchez’s attitude and commitment to the club have been questioned by fans and some of his teammates did not congratulate the 29-year-old Chilean after he scored a double in the 3-2 Premier League win over Crystal Palace last Thursday.

Wenger, whose transfer dealings have been a sore point with sections of the Arsenal support, said he would also be on the look-out for players in the present transfer window.

“We are open to any position for the exceptional player that can give us a plus. It depends a little bit on the injuries as well,” said the Arsenal manager on the eve of its match with reigning Premier League champion Chelsea.

“On the other hand it depends if we manage to extend the contracts of the players who are at the end of their contracts in June. It will depend on that as well. We have to take the consequences of those decisions and respond to it.

“How we cope with that, first of all we have not lost them yet, and secondly we will respond to that by bringing in players of top quality. This club has lost many, many big players and has always responded well.”

However, the 68-year-old Frenchman refuted suggestions he was targeting Chelsea’s Brazil center-back David Luiz or French international midfielder Thomas Lemar from Monaco.

The failure to sign 22-year-old Lemar back in August led to the collapse of the Sanchez move to Manchester City.

“I don’t want to think about any special names, but these reports are wrong,” said Wenger, whose side is currently fifth in the table, six points behind Liverpool in fourth but with a game in hand.

As for catching runaway leader City, Wenger said there is the slimmest glimmer of hope for its rival given its two recent performances — a 1-0 win away at struggling Newcastle United and then a 0-0 draw on Sunday against relegation-threatened Crystal Palace.

“They have shown signs of being less dominant,” said Wenger, whose side are 21 points behind City.“One of the teams behind need to have a perfect run and they (City) need to collapse a bit.” 

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Watch Brandon Day’s court appearance Thursday, April 6, 2017. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault, for attacking a hockey referee at SUNY Broome Community College. Anthony Borrelli / Staff video

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Brandon Day, right, pleads guilty to misdemeanor assault in Dickinson Town Court. He‘s joined by his lawyer, Chris Brown, center. District Attorney Steve Cornwell, left, prosecuted at the court appearance.(Photo: Anthony Borrelli / Staff Photo)Buy Photo

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A hockey player pleaded guilty Thursday to assaulting a referee on the ice during a game at SUNY Broome Community College.

, 19, a freshman Erie Community College student from Cheektowaga, appeared in Dickinson Town Court for a guilty plea to a misdemeanor count of third-degree assault. He was facing that and several other charges in connection with the Feb. 26 incident at a National Junior College Athletic Association championship game, played at SUNY Broome.

According to authorities, Day had been sent to the penalty box for a game infraction and exited after serving nearly the full penalty time. He then skated toward a 62-year-old referee and pushed him to the ice with 39 seconds left in the game. Video from the incident showed the referee was not looking at Day before he was pushed down.

Erie Community College (NJCAA) player storms out of penalty box to level referee late in 3rd period, ending national title game

— Sports Illustrated ()

Day‘s guilty plea will put him on probation for three years, which District Attorney Steve Cornwell said was a fair outcome.

“The video was despicable, but the person (Day) is not the person you see in that video, so sometimes you see people at their worst,” Cornwell said after Thursday‘s court appearance. “The defendant had some issues and took responsibility immediately, and made steps to address what was going on.”

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Investigators determined Day struck the referee intentionally, causing the referee an injury to his right shoulder and right hip, also causing him to lose consciousness.

After the incident, officials stopped the game, giving Dakota College of Bottineau a 7-4 championship victory.

Day was later charged with misdemeanor counts of third-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal mischief, along with disorderly conduct and second-degree harassment violations.

According to court papers, the referee told law enforcement he lost consciousness after being knocked down, he woke up on the ice, and he was helped back to the locker room, where a team‘s doctor examined him.

The incident may have resulted in ligament injuries to his right shoulder, along with a “deep bruise” to the right arm, court papers said.

“I have had no problem with the player that hit me,” the referee told police. “I don‘t know him.”

Day‘s defense lawyer, Chris Brown, said his client has been diagnosed with stress and anxiety issues, and he‘s been getting treatment for that. The plea agreement also required Day to pay $525 for damage he caused in the SUNY Broome locker room, as well as pay toward the referee‘s medical expenses.

“He‘s taken every step he can to make amends,” Brown said Thursday.

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