Fulham manager Arbeloa fined for Man Utd refereeing outburst

What the report says

Fulham head coach Alvaro Arbeloa has been fined $33,163 and issued a warning by the English Football Association after comments he made following his side’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United, Al Jazeera reported, citing Reuters. The sanction was announced on Wednesday and relates to remarks Arbeloa made after the match at Craven Cottage in London on September 20, 2026.

According to the report, Fulham conceded a late equaliser when Matheus Cunha scored in the 89th minute to earn United a point. In post-match comments, Arbeloa suggested that referees or officials would not allow Manchester United to lose, referencing an earlier United game against Manchester City that had involved a lengthy and disputed VAR review.

The FA said Arbeloa had acted improperly by making comments in a post-match interview that implied bias and questioned the integrity of a match official. The governing body also said Arbeloa admitted the charge. The case adds pressure on the Spanish coach, who took over Fulham in July and was still seeking his first league win at the time of the report, with the club bottom of the table after six matches.

More broadly, the episode highlights how social media and post-match comments can trigger disciplinary action when officials believe the remarks undermine confidence in refereeing or match administration.