Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho faces four-game touchline ban after sending off against Burnley
FA chiefs are expected to throw the book at Mourinho with the incident coming so soon after he criticised the appointment of Anthony Taylor for derby against Liverpool
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JOSE MOURINHO is facing a four-game ban.
The FA’s disciplinary panel are fed up with the Manchester United boss’ antics — and want to come down hard on him.
The suspension will see Mourinho off the touchline and part of it could even be a stadium ban.
He is already facing disciplinary action for comments he made about referee Anthony Taylor ahead of the 0-0 draw at Anfield this month.
Now he is in more trouble after being sent to the stands for a verbal attack on referee Mark Clattenburg at half-time in Saturday’s goalless draw against Burnley.
Mourinho was incensed at having a penalty appeal turned down just before the break.
He automatically gets a one-match touchline ban and £8,000 fine for the sending-off. But the financial penalty could be increased — and the ban upped by another game depending what is said in Clattenburg’s report.
The comments about Taylor would normally just bring a fine and slap on the wrist.
But the FA have lost patience with Mourinho and his back catalogue of disciplinary incidents, so he is facing a two-game rap for the Taylor comments alone.
His suspended stadium ban for complaining referees were afraid of giving Chelsea decisions back in October 2015 was up last month — but the FA have not forgot it and other misdemeanours.
United will stand by their man. Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward went to speak to Mourinho in the directors’ box on Saturday to find out why he had been sent off.
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Woodward knew what he was getting with Mourinho in terms of disciplinary battles, but Sir Alex Ferguson had his fair share of those too.
Mourinho’s behaviour after being sent off at Old Trafford will not help him. First he tried to sit in the front row of the South Stand and talk to his staff, before fourth official Kevin Friend told him to move.
He then went halfway up the main stand but was moved by a steward into the directors’ box.
That did not stop Mourinho. He had one of his assistants take a written message down to the bench, although that is not an offence.
United will also be missing Ander Herrera for one game after he was sent off for two bookable offences against Burnley.
The Spanish midfielder said: “The only thing I can say is that I didn’t want to make those fouls.
“I am not a violent player, I just slipped.”
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