Mikel Arteta avoids ban from FA for post-Newcastle comments

After Arsenal suffered a controversial loss at St. James Park against Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta took it to the post-match interview to voice his frustration at VAR.

While it seemed as though the Arsenal boss let his emotions get the best of him, fans and pundits alike were unsure as to whether to agree or disagree with him. However, that did not matter as much as the FA taking notice of the interview.

It was claimed that his remarks amounted to misconduct, as they were deemed insulting towards match officials, potentially detrimental to the game, and capable of bringing the sport into disrepute.

Mikel Arteta avoids ban from FA for post-Newcastle comments

However, via their official website, the FA have finally confirmed that there will be no charges against Mikel Arteta. The statement said: “An independent Regulatory Commission has found the charge against Mikel Arteta for an alleged breach of FA Rule E3.1 to be not proven.” 

They have also listed reasons as to why the charges were dismissed. Interestingly one of the reasons concluded that: “The word ‘disgrace’ used by Mikel Arteta in the Interviews ‘has a very similar spelling and pronunciation to the Spanish ‘desgracia’ … the Spanish word has connotations of misfortune, tragedy or bad luck rather than the connotations of the English equivalent which suggest contempt, dishonour or disrespect. While the English meaning may lead to interpretations of abuse or insult, this was not the intended meaning of the Comments.”

This proves that Arsenal’s legal team, much like the football team, are at the top of their game. On a serious note, this will come as a sigh of relief for Arteta especially after having already served a touchline ban.

However, the Spanish manager’s words reflected a lot of football enthusiasts' frustration with VAR. While the technology is good, it doesn’t seem to get used to its utmost effectiveness. 

This incident is something that the FA and PGMOL should be making a note of. It is essential that they use the technology made available to assist them properly, in order to be able to make fair and accurate decisions.