Igor Tudor is facing a Football Association misconduct charge, nearly three weeks after a post-match press conference in which the Tottenham interim manager called the referee a home team official and accused Fulham of cheating.
Tudor’s comments came after Spurs’ 2-1 defeat at Craven Cottage on March 1, a result that left them without a league win all year and sitting dangerously close to the relegation zone.
The flashpoint was Harry Wilson’s sixth-minute opener, which came after Raul Jimenez appeared to push Radu Dragusin in the back from a Kenny Tete cross. VAR reviewed the incident and let the goal stand in a decision that sent Tudor over the edge.
Speaking to BBC’s Match of the Day, the Croatian did not hold back.
“I didn’t like the referee today, too much of a home team referee. All the decisions were on their side. He doesn’t understand football, the feeling of what is wrong and what is right,” he said of referee Stuart Artwell.
He also turned his fire on Jimenez.
“He was not thinking about the ball. He was thinking about how to cheat. He cheated the player and was pushing. It was cheating, and it’s a foul. Ninety-nine of 100 people will say it’s a foul, it’s so obvious.”
Tudor faces the music
The FA confirmed on Thursday, per Sky Sports, that Tudor has been charged with misconduct for allegedly making comments that imply bias, question the integrity of a match official and are personally offensive toward a referee.
He has until Monday to respond.
It is an added headache for a manager already dealing with a crisis that has no obvious end in sight. Tottenham sit 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone, with six defeats from seven games under Tudor.
A touchline ban, should the FA decide to impose one, would only deepen the sense of chaos surrounding one of English football’s most troubled clubs this season.
