FA Takes Action Against Arbeloa Over Referee Remarks Following Man United Defeat

Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association over comments he made about refereeing decisions following his side’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United on September 20, 2026.

According to Bush Radio Academy, Arbeloa criticised the officiating after Fulham surrendered a late lead at Craven Cottage. The London club had appeared on course to secure its first league victory of the season after Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez put the ball into his own net, but Matheus Cunha scored late to earn United a point.

Following the match, Arbeloa questioned the decisions made by the officials and suggested that Fulham had been disadvantaged. He said, “Every decision was for them and I knew after the game against Man City that they would not let Man Utd lose. We deserved a little bit more.”

The FA subsequently charged the former Real Madrid coach, alleging that his post-match comments were improper because they implied bias and/or questioned the integrity of a match official. The governing body confirmed that Arbeloa has until October 1 to respond to the charge.

Arbeloa later appeared to soften his criticism of the officials during a subsequent press conference. He attributed his earlier comments partly to his command of English, saying he preferred not to make further comments about referees because of the possibility of being misunderstood.

The Spaniard took charge of Fulham in July and has yet to record a Premier League victory this season. The club began the campaign with defeats against Chelsea, Sunderland and Crystal Palace before securing draws against Liverpool and Manchester United.

The latest disciplinary action comes after the FA previously sanctioned another Fulham manager, Marco Silva, over post-match comments concerning match officials. Silva was fined £90,000 and initially received a one-match touchline suspension, although an appeal later suspended the touchline ban until the end of the 2026/27 season while leaving the fine in place.