Martinez charged by FA for criticising referee

The English Football Association has charged Wigan manager Roberto Martinez for publicly criticising a referee. Martinez was unhappy about a penalty being awarded to Manchester United, and about Danny Welbeck avoiding a red card in Wigan’s 4-0 loss on Sept.15. The FA says Martinez was charged over “media comments which implied that the match referee and/or match officials in general are motivated by bias and/or brought the game into disrepute.” Martinez described Welbeck’s challenge on Wigan forward Franco di Santo as “completely reckless,” claiming there were tackles “if they had been the other way round ... would have been a couple of red cards.” Martinez said that at Old Trafford, Wigan “don’t seem to be measured in the same manner as the team at home.”