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Saturday 21 March 2015
Manchester City 3 West Brom 0: Mistaken identity dismissal takes centre stage
According to soccerway,
An apparent case of mistaken identity stole the spotlight on a day when Manchester City recovered from back-to-back defeats with a 3-0 victory over 10-man West Brom.
While Manuel Pellegrini's men - beaten by Burnley last time out in the Premier League before suffering a UEFA Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona - cut the gap to leaders Chelsea to three points, the focus fell firmly on referee Neil Swarbrick.
The key talking point unfolded in the second minute at the Etihad Stadium, when Wilfried Bony was fouled outside the box by Craig Dawson, with Swarbrick allowing play to go on before Gareth McAuley dispossessed the Ivorian.
Swarbrick then awarded a free-kick for the initial infringement, but inexplicably sent McAuley from the field - despite Dawson appearing to concede that he should be the one to go.
City made the extra man count as Bony opened his account for the club in the 27th minute and Fernando capitalised on some shoddy defending to double the lead before the interval - chalking up the club's 1000th Premier League goal in the process.
Boaz Myhill was excellent in the face of sustained attacking pressure after the break, while Frank Lampard and Bony struck the woodwork - as did Saido Berahino at the other end - before David Silva wrapped it up late on.
The champions' task of retaining their title remains a tall order, with Chelsea - who face Hull City on Sunday - having two games in hand, while West Brom still cannot rest easy in their survival bid.
Tony Pulis had to reorganise quickly after McAuley's early dismissal as City dominated possession and territory.
Myhill would have expected to be kept busy, but the goalkeeper's first major test did not come until the 24th minute, when he kept out Silva's powerful strike.
Jonas Olsson's poor attempted clearance forced a save from his own goalkeeper, with Fernando on hand to tap in the loose ball for a landmark City goal.
The pattern of play continued after the interval - the hosts in control, pressing and probing for openings against an organised but embattled 10-man side.
The division's top scorers were frustrated by the woodwork twice in one attack, as Lampard struck the upright before Bony's untidy follow-up was hit into the ground and looped onto crossbar.
Berahino hit the underside of the crossbar with a close-range header - preserving a 100th Premier League clean sheet for Joe Hart - and City responded to that scare by extending their lead further with Silva deflecting Stevan Jovetic's shot in.
Despite the home side's celebrations, the focus will fall firmly on Swarbrick, whose decision to dismiss McAuley will surely be overturned.
Jonas Olsson's poor attempted clearance forced a save from his own goalkeeper, with Fernando on hand to tap in the loose ball for a landmark City goal.
The pattern of play continued after the interval - the hosts in control, pressing and probing for openings against an organised but embattled 10-man side.
The division's top scorers were frustrated by the woodwork twice in one attack, as Lampard struck the upright before Bony's untidy follow-up was hit into the ground and looped onto crossbar.
Berahino hit the underside of the crossbar with a close-range header - preserving a 100th Premier League clean sheet for Joe Hart - and City responded to that scare by extending their lead further with Silva deflecting Stevan Jovetic's shot in.
Despite the home side's celebrations, the focus will fall firmly on Swarbrick, whose decision to dismiss McAuley will surely be overturned.
Barcelona vs Real Madrid - La Liga rivals meets in crunch classico
Barcelona host Realmadrid in Camp Nou on sunday in what is described as the clash of titans.
Both teams are competiting for the la liga title as barcelona tops the league with just a point above their rivals Real madrid, while reigning champions Atletico Madrid have dropped off the pace in recent weeks.
Barcelona outstanding display with the superb performance of Lionel Messi against Manchester city in Uefa champions league round of 16, will boost their chances on sunday against Ancelotti men.
The two clubs have enjoyed a fierce rivalry throughout their illustrious histories and every year this fixture demands even more global attention.
"We know that there's a lot of pressure, but that's normal because it's a huge match," Benzema told Real sponsor bwin's official website. "Every player who loves football wants to play in it.
"We're going to prepare well for the match, all together, to go to Barcelona and win. We're only thinking about working hard to win together, as always. If we defend well we can do it.
"We can repeat the result from the first half of the season. We're in good shape to win and put in a performance like the one we put in.
"We're Real Madrid. To score again like I did in our first meeting of the season, I need a bit of luck and nothing else."
Sunday's game sees world football's two most fearsome attacking trios go head to head as Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez go up against Ronaldo, Benzema and Gareth Bale.
Paris Saint-Germain 3 Lorient 1: Ibrahimovic ends eventful week with hat-trick
Paris Saint-Germain moved top of Ligue 1 thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic's hat-trick, which gave them a 3-1 win over Lorient on Friday.
Ibrahimovic has rarely been out of the headlines in the last week or so, first getting sent off in PSG's UEFA Champions League success at Chelsea before then launching a foul-mouthed tirade at referee Lionel Jaffredo following last Sunday's 3-2 defeat to Bordeaux.
However, the Ligue 1 champions' talisman will take the spotlight for the right reasons after his treble at the Parc des Princes defeated a spirited Lorient outfit.
Ibrahimovic was chopped down by visiting goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte in the early stages of the game and subsequently tucked home the resulting penalty.
It appeared as though PSG would be punished for wasting several opportunities when Jordan Ayew levelled with a superb strike against the run of play in the 67th minute.
But, with the clock winding down, Javier Pastore was fouled in the box by Lamine Kone and Ibrahimovic rolled in his second spot-kick of the game.
And the Sweden captain completed his hat-trick in injury time, unerringly firing past Lecomte from the edge of the area after being fed by Marco Verratti as PSG moved above Lyon at the top, with Hubert Fournier's side playing Nice on Saturday.
Ibrahimovic's evening started well as he converted low into the left-hand corner from the spot after he was brought down by Lecomte while latching on to a long ball.
PSG continued to find success from a direct approach and Ezequiel Lavezzi raced on to Pastore's dink only to be foiled by the legs of Lecomte, with Cavani's calls for a penalty when Wesley Lautoa appeared to handle his follow up falling on deaf ears.
Lecomte came to the rescue again with a smart one-handed parry from Ibrahimovic's low first-time shot after he was slipped in by Veratti's throughball.
Lavezzi had PSG's first opportunity of the second half when he failed to convert Maxwell's cross from the left from inside the six-yard box.
PSG's profligacy was nearly punished by Ayew as he surged into the box and stung the palms of Salvatore Sirigu, and Cavani then came agonisingly close a first league goal since mid-January when he bent a 25-yard free-kick narrowly wide on the hour.
But PSG's failure to find a second goal came back to haunt them in the 67th minute as Ayew hit a sweet, low effort from 20 yards that nestled in the bottom-left corner.
The former Marseille man almost put Lorient on course for a shock win soon after, but Verratti was on hand to clear his half-volley off the line.
There would be another twist in the tale, though, as Kone clumsily brought Pastore to ground in the box and the home fans breathed a sigh of relief as Ibrahimovic put his penalty to left of Lecomte.
And Ibrahimovic was celebrating his treble in stoppage time. Verrati won possession deep in Lorient's half and slid the ball to the forward, whose shot had too much power for Lecomte.
Nigeria to face Uganda after Bolivia opted out
The Cranes have replaced Bolivia, who pulled out of playing the Super Eagles because of security fears ahead of the country’s presidential election.
It has been confirmed that Uganda will play Nigeria at the Uyo Stadium on Wednesday.
After Bolivia opted out, the Nigeria Football Federation told Goal that the NFF has concluded plans for the nation to face the Super eagles.
A member of the governing body said: “I am happy to tell you that the March 26th, 2015 FIFA date will be utilised after all. We have concluded plans with and also sealed all necessary terms regarding the match with the national team of Uganda for a friendly against the Super Eagles on Wednesday, March 25, 2015.
“The leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation is not happy with the way Bolivia bungled the already sealed plans for a friendly match against the Super Eagles. We are also considering legal implications relating to this friendly since the NFF did not breach the contract.
“We are looking at how we can get fair judgment on the matter from Fifa since we have spent a lot of money on preparations and logistics regarding the execution of the match.
“But we are happier that the Eagles will play against Uganda in Uyo on that Fifa free day. But all arrangements concerning the Eagles’ friendly against the Bafana Bafana of South Africa remain the same and preparations are in full gear for that."
The game will be played on the Wednesday rather than Thursday to allow fans to travel ahead of the presidential elections.
“We don’t want people to have travelling problems since there will be only one day, which is Friday, before the election on Saturday, March 28 for people to return to their respective bases from Uyo. This is the reason why we opted for Wednesday so that fans will be afforded at least two days to do so."
Its prediction time
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20.00 BARCELONA VS REALMADRID
Friday 20 March 2015
Ibrahimovic handed one-match ban for Chelsea red
Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been banned for one match following his red card in the UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Chelsea.
Ibrahimovic was sent off in the 31st minute of PSG's dramatic 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last week, which sent the Ligue 1 champions into the last eight on away goals.
The decision appeared harsh on Ibrahimovic, who was dismissed for a foul on Chelsea midfielder Oscar when challenging for a 50-50 ball.
PSG went on to produce a superb performance with 10 men to progress against the odds after extra time, with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho calling for Ibrahimovic's red card to be rescinded in the aftermath.
A UEFA statement on Thursday read: "The Paris Saint-Germain [player] Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for one (1) UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible.
"As a result, the player is not eligible to play in the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona."
In addition, Serge Aurier has been banned for three matches for his criticism of referee Bjorn Kuipers on social media.
Aurier posted a video on his Twitter account after the match, but later apologised for the post.
His ban will see him miss the quarter-finals as well as the first leg of a potential semi-final.
Pellegrini rubbishes ´disaster´ talk at City
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has dismissed talk of a crisis at the club following their UEFA Champions League exit and faltering Premier League title defence.
City were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday, having previously slipped six points behind league leaders Chelsea with a shock defeat at Burnley last weekend.
As Pellegrini's men prepare to return to domestic action against West Brom on Saturday, the Chilean has moved to play down criticism aimed at City.
Asked on Friday whether he was still enjoying the job, Pellegrini answered: "Yes. I have just played Barcelona in the Champions League, now we are fighting for the best league in the world.
"If you do not enjoy it, you should see a doctor. We are in second position and that's not a disaster, only Chelsea have done better. We try now to play the last nine games at our best.
"I have been here less than two years. Last year we won the league and a cup [the League Cup]. That is not easy. Everyone in England is strong.
"Every manager, when they have not been winning, is under pressure. It has happened with Liverpool, Arsenal, now me.
"In Spain, the same has happened with [Real Madrid coach] Carlo Ancelotti and he has won four titles."
For the visit of West Brom, Pellegrini looks set to be without Yaya Toure due to an Achilles injury, with Aleksandar Kolarov (muscle) and James Milner (knee) also doubts.
"We haven't had long to recover. Maybe we are going to refresh the team mentally," the City boss added.
Real to face Atletico in quarter-finals from champions league draw
Real Madrid will face Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter final in a repeat of last season's final.
Barcelona, the third Spanish side to be included in the draw, will take on Paris Saint-Germain, while Porto will face 2013 winners Bayern Munich and Juventus will go head to head with Monaco.
Real and Atletico met in the showpiece in Lisbon last year, Real prevailing 4-1 in extra time after Sergio Ramos' dramatic late header had denied Atletico victory in normal time.
The two clubs have already met six times during the course of this season, with Real yet to get the better of their near neighbours.
Both league meetings have ended in Atletico's favour - most recently a 4-0 anhiliation at the Vicente Calderon last month.
Diego Simeone's side progressed 4-2 on aggregate in the Copa del Rey, and triumphed 2-1 over two legs of the Spanish Super Cup at the start of the campaign.
Barca face PSG in the last eight having been drawn alongside one another in the group stage of this season's competition.
Having shared a victory each earlier this campaign, the sides also faced off in the quarter-finals two years ago as the Catalan giants advanced on away goals after the tie finished 3-3.
Italian champions Juve have arguably the best of the draw, facing Arsenal's conquerors Monaco, while Bayern will also fancy their chances as they take on Porto.
Bayern have lost just one of 22 competitive matches against Portuguese teams, that coming in their European Cup final defeat to Porto in 1987.
The ties will take place on April 14/15 and April 21/22.
FIFA presidency candidates slam Sepp Blatter for debate rebuff
Sepp Blatter's decision to turn down a televised debate with fellow candidates for the FIFA presidency has come in for criticism.
The FIFA election will take place on May 29, with Sky and BBC offering to televise Blatter up against his rivals - only for the Swiss, who is seeking a fifth consecutive term, to turn it down.
Among those contesting for the presidency are Luis Figo, Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein and Michael van Praag.
Figo, of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter fame, said he wanted to air his ideas in a public forum.
"I think it is a pity. We owe it to the fans of football to hold this debate with all four candidates," the former Portugal international said of Blatter's decision.
"It would have been good for all FIFA Member Associations and for the fans of football to hold this debate with all four candidates, but I will nevertheless continue to promote my ideas, which are in favour of reform, transparency and, first and foremost, for football.
"I respect all candidates and their proposals and their freedom to decide even if I do not agree with some of them."
Prince Ali said he felt the broadcasters should have seen their idea met with more enthusiasm from 79-year-old Blatter.
"I believe that this election campaign is an opportunity for an open and mature debate about the future direction of FIFA and all four candidates have a responsibility to football to engage in this debate," the vice-president for FIFA in Asia said.
"The broadcasters' initiative is a good one and should be supported."
Top four is Liverpool's focus - Sturridge
Brendan Rodgers may have second place in the Premier League in his sights, but Daniel Sturridge says finishing in the top four is Liverpool's main priority.
Monday's victory over Swansea City stretched Liverpool's unbeaten run to 13 league matches, and led to manager Rodgers insisting that second-placed Manchester City - just four points above his team - could still be caught.
Sturridge has not given up hope of being runners-up once again either, but is focused primarily on UEFA Champions League qualification.
"It is important to secure fourth place and then from there look on," the England striker told Liverpool's official website.
"To finish in the top four is realistic for us, it's what we're aiming to do, and if we can get higher than that then perfect.
"But finishing in the top four is the objective and that's the most important thing for us. It's not about aiming for anything other than that now.
"If we can finish in the top four, then we can push on and challenge for the title again next season.
"I think top four is definitely possible for us."
Thursday 19 March 2015
Bankrupt Parma rack up staggering €218million debt
It was confirmed on Thursday that the Bankruptcy Court of Parma had named Angelo Anedda and Alberto Guiotto as the club's official receivers, following the announcement the club were made bankrupt.
Parma's money troubles this season have been well documented, with the team having been hit with two separate points deductions for failing to pay players and seeing two matches postponed as they struggle to even cover matchday costs.
The court announced that Parma's total debts amounted to a staggering €218,446,754.61, while the tally owed to players is more than €74million.
Serie A and the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) have both confirmed to Perform that the league has set aside €5million as a provisional budget to allow Parma to complete the remainder of the season.
Parma's problems off the pitch - which include reports that president Giampietro Manenti had been arrested on suspicion of money laundering earlier this week - have been replicated on it with team winning just three league matches all season
United is my last job - Van Gaal
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says the job will be his last of a decorated career.
The Dutchman arrived at Old Trafford after guiding Netherlands to third place at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Van Gaal was tasked with returning United to the UEFA Champions League after David Moyes' ill-fated spell in charge last season.
The 63-year-old has won seven league titles with four different clubs in three separate countries, but says he will retire whenever his reign at Old Trafford comes to an end.
"This is my last job. For sure," he told the Telegraph.
"I have to pay attention to my kids, my grandchildren but also to my wife. They deserve it. Now I cannot pay that attention.
"I was not at the birthday of my grandson for example. I don't like it.
"My wife wants to quit now already! Five years ago! I'm not married to my job. Of course, I am 24 hours a manager, but I am also 24 hours a father of my children, grandfather of my grandchildren and I am always 24 hours lover of my wife.
"I am married to my profession, more than with her. I see my PA more than my wife."
Van Gaal also praised United captain Wayne Rooney and his team-mate Michael Carrick, who the Dutchman says often come to him to discuss the game.
"He [Rooney] is very open to learn. It's amazing," he said. "I don't know if he speaks with his wife Coleen about football, I don't think so.
"But we have the process of talking here. Most of my players of my selection are open and that's very nice.
"Carrick is more or less a trainer-coach. He is also willing to talk about shapes and systems. That's nice. Rooney also.
"Not every player is very open and then you have to convince him, and then you get a struggle. It works or it doesn't work. Give them time. Also give me time to do it."
Lionel Messi calls Manchester city goalkeeper Hart a 'phenomenon' after Barcelona triumph
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi described goalkeeper Joe Hart as a
"phenomenon" following his performance in Manchester City's 1-0 UEFA
Champions League defeat at Camp Nou.
Ivan Rakitic
scored the only goal as Barca secured a 3-1 aggregate win on Wednesday,
but the margin could have been greater had it not been for the heroics
of the England number one - who saved a late penalty from Messi in the
first leg last month.
Hart said it was an "honour"
to pit his wits against Messi during a post-match interview, and the
Argentina captain returned the praise with a glowing assessment of his
opponent's display.
"Joe Hart had an absolutely
fantastic game," Messi told UEFA.com. "I already knew he was a top
keeper, but it was impressive in this performance how he just stopped
everything that came his way, with either his hands or his body - he is a
phenomenon.
"The fortunate thing, given all that,
was we managed to get through the tie, which was all we wanted, so that
we could be in Friday's quarter-final draw.
"These
nights are just so tremendous to play in and wonderful for the public to
watch, especially when the game is played like this.
"The opposition was full of great players and both teams just try to play really good, open football.
"Both City and Barcelona wanted to be on the ball, to do things with it, and it ended up as a pretty spectacular game."
Messi best of all-time - Luis Enrique
Barcelona star Lionel Messi is the best player of all-time, according to coach Luis Enrique.
The
Argentine impressed as Barcelona claimed a 1-0 win over Manchester City
in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie on
Wednesday.
Messi set up Ivan Rakitic for the game's
only goal at Camp Nou, where Barca completed a 3-1 aggregate victory
after Sergio Aguero was denied from the penalty spot late on.
And Luis Enrique was unsurprisingly full of praise for Messi afterwards, labelling him the greatest of all-time.
"What
Leo Messi is able to do is already known by everyone. He is the best
player in the world, no doubt. Not just nowadays but also in history,"
he said.
"Obviously he gives us a lot, we've never hidden from this. It's a pleasure to have him at our club.
"Nevertheless,
we need a solid team behind him in order to lift trophies. So we have
to keep working as a team, something which I think we are already doing.
"I
would praise every single player who has played tonight, even the
players who have not played because they have been supporting the team.
"In general, I would congratulate every Barcelona supporter. It's a day to celebrate."
Former
Barca midfielder and coach Pep Guardiola - now in charge of Bayern
Munich - was an interested onlooker on Wednesday, celebrating Rakitic's
goal and marvelling at Messi's magic.
Luis Enrique said he would definitely exchange texts with the 44-year-old "Barcelona fan".
"I haven't had the chance to talk with Pep. I've seen him on TV inside the stadium," he said.
"He
is a Barcelona fan at the end of the day. I don't know if we will talk,
it depends on what happens in the draw and many other things. We will
exchange texts for sure.
"We will wait
for the draw and as soon as we know which teams we will both face, then
we will say it's the best draw we could have."
Pellegrini marvels at Barca and Messi magic
Manuel Pellegrini accepted his Manchester City side were deservedly
beaten as Barcelona knocked them out of the UEFA Champions League for a
second consecutive season.
Barcelona took a 2-1 lead
into Wednesday's second leg at the Camp Nou - an advantage extended by
Ivan Rakitic's 31st-minute strike in a 1-0 win on the night, as
Argentine superstar Lionel Messi reached his imperious best for the
hosts.
Luis Enrique's side would have won by a far
bigger margin but for a magnificent display by City goalkeeper Joe Hart,
while they were also spared a nervy finish when Sergio Aguero spurned a
77th-minute penalty.
"I think we lost against a better team without doubt," Pellegrini told Sky Sports.
"Lionel
Messi is very difficult to contain. Maybe we didn't play so well in the
first half but we improved in the second and we took risks.
"We
needed to score two goals and we thought it might happen had we scored
the penalty. That was a very important moment because we had 15 minutes
more to play."
Pellegrini was widely criticised for
taking a cavalier approach when he picked two strikers for the opening
leg at the Etihad Stadium and his midfield was comprehensively overrun.
Aguero
featured as a lone forward in the return leg - prompting his manager to
suggest that tinkering with formations can be futile when faced with
the quality possessed by La Liga's leaders.
"We have had four games against Barca and we played with four different formations," he said.
"So [the tactics] were not a problem, it was the performance."
City's
defence of their domestic title has faltered badly since the turn of
the year and a failure to secure further progress in Europe means
Pellegrini's position as manager is likely to remain under heavy
scrutiny.
But the Chilean brushed off suggestion
that he was feeling the pressure of his situation, and pointed to City's
punishments under UEFA's Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules as a
mitigating factor in their continental campaign.
FFP
punishments meant City could only name a 23-man squad for the Champions
League, while their net spending last close season was restricted to
€60m.
"All of us wanted to continue, we need to improve in Europe and maybe in the last two years we did improve," he continued.
"We
have gone through to the last 16 and we were very unlucky we played
against Barcelona, but at least we qualified [for the knockout stages].
"I
also think it was not our best year to continue in Europe because of
[Financial Fair Play] restrictions with the amount of players and money
so it was difficult in that sense."
Bolivia withdraw from Nigeria friendly match
Bolivia have withdrawn from their scheduled international friendly with Nigeria, citing security concerns.
The South American nation was set to travel to Africa for the friendly in Uyo on March 26, but the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) announced the clash was off.
Nigeria's elections are set to be held on March 28, with unrest ongoing in the lead up.
"The armed conflict in Nigeria has forced the cancellation of the game," FBF president Carlos Chavez told a news conference in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
A translated statement on FBF's website read: "Due to problems of civil war which is going through Nigeria, the FBF sent documentation with relevant backups to the organiser of the FULL PLAY GROUP meeting, under the argument to preserve the physical integrity of players, coaches and leaders.
"The President of the FBF, Carlos Chavez, was responsible for making this known officially at a press conference, noting that comes first to prevent any situation that might impair the normal development of a football game."
The Nigerian Football Federation had previously defended the fixture, in light of comments from Bolivia coach Mauricio Soria calling for it to be cancelled.
Nigeria's caretaker coach Daniel Amokachi has already named a squad for the international break, although they also have a clash with South Africa on March 29 in Nelspruit
The South American nation was set to travel to Africa for the friendly in Uyo on March 26, but the Bolivian Football Federation (FBF) announced the clash was off.
Nigeria's elections are set to be held on March 28, with unrest ongoing in the lead up.
"The armed conflict in Nigeria has forced the cancellation of the game," FBF president Carlos Chavez told a news conference in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
A translated statement on FBF's website read: "Due to problems of civil war which is going through Nigeria, the FBF sent documentation with relevant backups to the organiser of the FULL PLAY GROUP meeting, under the argument to preserve the physical integrity of players, coaches and leaders.
"The President of the FBF, Carlos Chavez, was responsible for making this known officially at a press conference, noting that comes first to prevent any situation that might impair the normal development of a football game."
The Nigerian Football Federation had previously defended the fixture, in light of comments from Bolivia coach Mauricio Soria calling for it to be cancelled.
Nigeria's caretaker coach Daniel Amokachi has already named a squad for the international break, although they also have a clash with South Africa on March 29 in Nelspruit
Hull city hit with FA charge
The flashpoint took place in the 68th minute of the Premier League contest at the King Power Stadium.
Referee Jon Moss booked Alex Bruce for a strong challenge on Riyad Mahrez, much to the chagrin of the visiting players, who voiced their disapproval towards the official.
A statement from the FA read: "Hull City have been charged by The FA for failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion.
"The allegation relates to an incident which occurred in or around the 68th minute of their fixture against Leicester City on 14 March 2015."
Hull have until March 23 to respond to the charge.
Chelsea questions penalty awards as Mourinho's 'campaign' claims takes new twist
Jose Mourinho's claims of a "campaign" against Chelsea took another twist on Wednesday with an extraordinary article published on the club's website complaining they have been awarded an "abnormally low" number of penalties this season.
The Football Association (FA) hit Mourinho with a £25,000 fine in January for comments he made in the wake of a 1-1 draw with Southampton, during which referee Anthony Taylor booked Cesc Fabregas for diving in the box.
At the time, Mourinho responded to that incident by saying: "There is a campaign against Chelsea. I don't know why there is this campaign and I do not care. Everybody know it was a penalty."
And, following another contentious incident in the reverse fixture on Sunday, when Branislav Ivanovic appeared to be caught by Dusan Tadic in the area but had his appeals waved away by referee Mike Dean, Chelsea have now openly questioned the amount of spot-kicks awarded to them in the Premier League this season.
The article read: "It is in our 28 Premier League games this season where we have been awarded just two penalties. Both were for infringements on the league's most-fouled player, Eden Hazard, and both were in home London derbies, against Arsenal and QPR respectively. The most recent was four-and-a-half months ago.
"Historically, this figure seems abnormally low."
The piece also included a list of penalties awarded to Chelsea in the previous five seasons, highlighting how this term's lower tally "unquestionably bucks the recent trend".
It went on to outline a series of incidents where spot-kick appeals have been turned down this campaign.
"Our two closest challengers in the Premier League this season, Manchester City and Arsenal, have both been awarded seven penalties – the most in the division. City have only scored one goal more than Chelsea and Arsenal two less," it continued.
"Last term, the two teams that finished above us in the league – Man City and Liverpool – were awarded more penalties than any other team bar us.
"Of course, it could be that when teams have played the league leaders they have been particularly careful inside their own area. We all have plenty of recollections suggesting this is not the case however.
"From the first half of our very first league game, at Burnley, a number of key penalty-box decisions have not gone our way, Diego Costa the victim that evening after being felled trying to round the keeper. He should have been awarded Shed End penalties against Liverpool and PSG recently, too.
"At Old Trafford in late October, both John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic were wrestled to the ground as they tried to attack an in-swinging free-kick in front of the Stretford End.
"Cesc Fabregas was then cruelly booked after being tripped inside the area at Southampton and four days later Tottenham escaped after handling close to their own goal.
"All those were before Sunday's incident involving Ivanovic and the previous home game against Burnley when the right-back's goalbound shot was infamously blocked by the clearest of raised arms."
The Football Association (FA) hit Mourinho with a £25,000 fine in January for comments he made in the wake of a 1-1 draw with Southampton, during which referee Anthony Taylor booked Cesc Fabregas for diving in the box.
At the time, Mourinho responded to that incident by saying: "There is a campaign against Chelsea. I don't know why there is this campaign and I do not care. Everybody know it was a penalty."
And, following another contentious incident in the reverse fixture on Sunday, when Branislav Ivanovic appeared to be caught by Dusan Tadic in the area but had his appeals waved away by referee Mike Dean, Chelsea have now openly questioned the amount of spot-kicks awarded to them in the Premier League this season.
The article read: "It is in our 28 Premier League games this season where we have been awarded just two penalties. Both were for infringements on the league's most-fouled player, Eden Hazard, and both were in home London derbies, against Arsenal and QPR respectively. The most recent was four-and-a-half months ago.
"Historically, this figure seems abnormally low."
The piece also included a list of penalties awarded to Chelsea in the previous five seasons, highlighting how this term's lower tally "unquestionably bucks the recent trend".
It went on to outline a series of incidents where spot-kick appeals have been turned down this campaign.
"Our two closest challengers in the Premier League this season, Manchester City and Arsenal, have both been awarded seven penalties – the most in the division. City have only scored one goal more than Chelsea and Arsenal two less," it continued.
"Last term, the two teams that finished above us in the league – Man City and Liverpool – were awarded more penalties than any other team bar us.
"Of course, it could be that when teams have played the league leaders they have been particularly careful inside their own area. We all have plenty of recollections suggesting this is not the case however.
"From the first half of our very first league game, at Burnley, a number of key penalty-box decisions have not gone our way, Diego Costa the victim that evening after being felled trying to round the keeper. He should have been awarded Shed End penalties against Liverpool and PSG recently, too.
"At Old Trafford in late October, both John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic were wrestled to the ground as they tried to attack an in-swinging free-kick in front of the Stretford End.
"Cesc Fabregas was then cruelly booked after being tripped inside the area at Southampton and four days later Tottenham escaped after handling close to their own goal.
"All those were before Sunday's incident involving Ivanovic and the previous home game against Burnley when the right-back's goalbound shot was infamously blocked by the clearest of raised arms."
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