Manchester United: Jose Mourinho Charged With Improper Conduct After Sideline Temper Tantrum

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the English Football Association. The charge stems from an incident involving Mourinho during Sunday’s 1-1 draw between the Red Devils and West Ham United. This is the third time Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the FA in the last six weeks, as controversy continues to surround the enigmatic manager, all while Manchester United’s season continues to spiral out of control.

Jose Mourinho has been charged following Manchester United’s game against West Ham United on Sunday: https://t.co/upHWsYKd9f

— England Football (@EnglandFootball) November 28, 2016

SkySports reported on Monday that Mourinho has once again been singled out by the FA for his sideline behavior. The English FA released a statement on Monday confirming the charges against Mourinho.

“Jose Mourinho has been charged following Manchester United’s game against West Ham United on Sunday, 27 November 2016,” read the FA’s statement. “It is alleged his behaviour in or around the 27th minute of the game amounts to improper conduct. He has until 6pm on 1 December 2016 to respond to the charge.”

Mourinho, who is known for his childish and immature antics on the sideline, could be seen kicking a water bottle in frustration during Manchester United’s match with West Ham. The Portuguese manager appeared to be upset with United’s Paul Pogba receiving a yellow card for taking a dive. A replay of the incident in question clearly shows Pogba dropping to the ground despite the West Ham defender failing to make contact with him on an attempted tackle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki76laltwFY

Mourinho was incensed at his star player receiving a booking, throwing a temper tantrum that included the kicking of a water bottle. To his credit, Mourinho struck the water bottle with a great amount of force. Manchester United could have benefited on Sunday from more shots on target that had the same kind of force that Mourinho’s strike on the water bottle had.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0II4QjiZvM

In the midst of his sideline temper tantrum, Mourinho was met by match referee Jon Moss, who immediately stood in front of Mourinho and pointed to the stands, sending the Manchester United manager into the seats at Old Trafford for the remainder of the match.

Mourinho and Moss actually have a bit of history with one another. Moss also told Mourinho to vacate the bench area last year while the Portuguese manager was still in charge of Chelsea. Ironically, that match was also against West Ham United. It also resulted in a one-match ban for Mourinho near the end of his second stint at Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho’s charge of improper conduct this time around could result in a three-match ban, according to ESPNFC. Mourinho’s extensive history of misconduct on the sidelines could reportedly factor into the FA’s punishment. The United manager has already missed one match this season as punishment for using abusive language towards a match official.

In addition to that one-match suspicion, Mourinho has also been fined for making disparaging comments about match officials to the media. When the English FA hit Mourinho with that fine, the United manager was warned that similar conduct could result in a harsher punishment the next time he had an incident with a referee. That next time appears to have happened on Sunday when Mourinho’s foot struck that water bottle.

Mourinho is likely to be back on the sidelines Wednesday when Manchester United plays West Ham United in a cup match. He has until Thursday to reply to the charge from the F.A., and if he accepts the charge, his suspension could start this weekend when United visits Everton. United also has upcoming Premier League matches with Tottenham, Crystal Palace, and West Bromwich Albion that Mourinho could potentially miss.

Of course, missing its manager is the least of Manchester United’s problems these days. The Red Devils are in the midst of their worst start during the Premier League era, accumulating just 20 points through the season’s first 13 matches. They are 11 points behind first place Chelsea, who is excelling this season after firing Mourinho last December.

Jose Mourinho’s charge of improper conduct may actually be a blessing for Manchester United, who has just one win in its last seven Premier League matches. That one win came against Swansea City in a match that Jose Mourinho watched from the stands due to his improper conduct on the sidelines.

[Featured Image by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images]