Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has warned Premier League clubs they could face more severe sanctions if they are unable to curb abuse towards officials.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot, ranked at no.9 in FourFourTwo’s list of the best managers in the world right now, was hit with a two-match ban and £70,000 fine last month after confronting referee Michael Oliver.
That incident came after Everton salvaged a late 2-2 draw in the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, with Slot shown a straight red card.
Keith Hackett warns Premier League clubs about possible points deduction measure after Liverpool furore
At an FA disciplinary meeting, Slot was alleged to have told Oliver that he “f*cking gave [Everton] everything”, that he was a “f***ing disgrace” and that “if [Liverpool] don’t win the league, I’ll f***ing blame you.”
Slot disputed the last part, saying he had said “if we don’t win the league, I will have you to thank for that”, but accepted the charge and apologised.
Slot is not the only Premier League manager to have been dismissed this season.
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo and Brighton counterpart Fabian Hurzeler were both sent off for entering the pitch without permission during the two sides’ clash in September after Morgan Gibbs-White was dismissed for a foul.
Bournemouth boss Adoni Iraola meanwhile tops the charts for most yellow cards having been booked on five occasions this season.
That has led former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett to warn that the FA may get more stringent with their punishments if they can’t learn to control their emotions.
He told Football Insider: “If these fines going forward do not have the desired effect then we may see points deductions coming into play.
“The last time they used that sanction for an on-field mass confrontation was in the game between Manchester United v Arsenal [in 1990] where I was the man in the middle.”
That infamous brawl between Manchester United and Arsenal involved 21 of the players involved, sparked by Nigel Winterburn’s tackle on Denis Irwin.
Both sides were fined and docked points: United had one point deducted, while Arsenal got a two-point punishment having been involved in a similar fracas the previous year.
For FourFourTwo, it seems unlikely that such a measure will be brought in, especially given that 1990 measure is the only time English clubs have ever been deducted points for their conduct on the pitch.
Nonetheless, the FA will be keen to be seen to be taking firm action over abuse towards officials amid rising tensions and unacceptable behaviour in the stands – as the last few weeks have highlighted.
