Champions League: FA chairman concerned by rise in players intimidating officials

There has been a “scary increase” in the number of times players have attempted to intimidate referees by swarming around them at key decisions this season, English FA chairman Greg Dyke said on Tuesday. The FA has written to every club in the top five divisions to stop the kind of behaviour shown when nine Chelsea players swarmed around the referee to get Paris St Germain’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off in a Champions League game last week. “We have seen a pretty scary increase this season in the number of clubs charged with their players surrounding referees,” Dyke told an invited group of football writers. [caption id=“attachment_1587513” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Reuters[/caption] “As a result we have written to the clubs in the top five divisions reminding them of the rules and their responsibilities. “I believe it is particularly important for professional clubs to set an example so that this kind of conduct is not replicated at grassroots and youth level. “The whole game needs to ensure it is addressing this issue.” FA officials visit every club during the close season to remind players of what will be tolerated and the FA has revealed it has been charging clubs on a consistent basis. INCREASING SANCTIONS The FA is now considering increasing sanctions including heavier fines for offending clubs. Referees could also become more proactive by booking players. Official figures show that in 2012-13 and 2013-14 it charged six clubs whose players had “surrounded a match official” while this season 16 clubs have been charged. In 2012-13, 14 clubs were warned but not charged, a figure that rose to 23 last season. Last week, when the latest figures were compiled, 29 clubs had been warned. Chelsea captain John Terry defended the Premier League leaders’ conduct during the defeat by PSG after Ibrahimovic accused them of acting like “babies” to get him sent off. “Every side is as bad as each other,” Terry said. “It’s part of the game.” The FA’s internal fair play rankings show that Chelsea are bottom of the Respect To Referees column in which points are deducted for repeatedly disputing decisions and harassing officials, among other things. UEFA does not have specific sanctions regarding players swarming round referees apart from those covered by the Laws of the Game, but said that president Michel Platini was becoming “more concerned” about the behaviour of players on the pitch. “It is something we are looking at, at the moment to see what can be done,” a spokesman for European football’s ruling body said. “Obviously, we would like to see an environment where players would accept the decisions taken and where they would not employ the tactic of pressure and intimidation of the officials during the game,” he added. Reuters