Erling Haaland faces potential sanctions following reaction to controversial refereeing decision
According to FA guidance, players are held responsible for content posted on their accounts, and Haaland cannot claim a third party made the post.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland may be in hot water with the Football Association (FA) due to his response to a refereeing decision in Manchester City's recent draw against Tottenham.
The incident unfolded during the fifth minute of injury time when Haaland was fouled but managed to recover, setting up Jack Grealish for a clear shot on goal. Despite the initial signal to play on, the referee, Simon Hooper, later blew the whistle, bringing the ball back for a City free-kick.
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Expressing his frustration, Haaland quoted a clip of the incident on social media with a comment containing offensive slang, prompting concerns about a potential breach of FA's social media guidelines. Rule E3.1 specifically addresses improper comments, that bring the game into disrepute, or are threatening, abusive, indecent, or insulting. It also covers comments about match officials that imply bias, attack integrity or are personally offensive.
— Erling Haaland (@ErlingHaaland) December 3, 2023
According to FA guidance, players are held responsible for content posted on their accounts, and Haaland cannot claim a third party made the post. Deleting the post would not exempt him from potential action. While there are no fixed punishments for social media comments, the FA notes that financial penalties are commonly imposed in such cases, possibly sparing Haaland from a ban if an investigation, charge, and punishment proceed.
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