Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has been charged with improper conduct by UEFA following his criticism of the match officials after his team’s Champions League exit.
Wenger hit out at the referee following the 3-0 win over AC Milan on Tuesday, which was not quite enough to overturn the Italians’ 4-0 lead from the first leg of the last 16 tie.
“UEFA has opened a disciplinary case against Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger for improper conduct in relation to last night’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg match against AC Milan in London,” a UEFA statement on Wednesday said.
The case will be dealt with by UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body on March 29.
Wenger also criticised Skomina in his post-match remarks, saying he had awarded too many decisions to the Italian visitors.
He said: “I was not happy with the referee tonight because I felt he gave many free-kicks in the middle of the park.
“Every time they went down a free-kick was given for them, and they sensed that very quickly and they used it very well.”
It could be his third ban in a year, UEFA handed Wenger a one-match touchline ban for an on-field rant at Massimo Busacca following his team’s last-16 exit to Barcelona last year.
The Arsenal boss was left fuming at the Swiss referee’s decision to send off Robin van Persie.
Wenger was then handed a further two-match touchline suspension for violating his Barcelona ban by communicating with the Arsenal bench from the stands during the Gunners’ play-off tie against Udinese earlier this season.
The Gunners beat Milan 3-0 in Tuesday’s match after Laurent Koscielny, Tomas Rosicky and Van Persie scored in a stunning first-half performance.
However, they could not push on after the interval and bowed out 4-3 on aggregate after their heavy defeat at the San Siro in the first leg.
by Buford Balony
