Erling Haaland could face potential consequences from the Football Association (FA) as per their rules, following an incident during the match against Tottenham.
Referee Simon Hooper halted a late City counterattack, leading to Haaland questioning the decision. The ensuing whistle further fueled Haaland’s frustration, prompting him to share a video of the incident on his social media account with the caption “wtf [what the f—],” drawing attention from both fans and his father, Alfie, who responded with “terrible.”
In accordance with FA regulations, Haaland may be scrutinized under Rule E3.1, which pertains to comments deemed improper, bringing the game into disrepute, or those that are threatening, abusive, indecent, or insulting. Additionally, comments about match officials implying bias, attacking integrity, or being personally offensive fall under this rule.
If the FA decides to investigate Haaland’s post, they will seek written comments or file a charge within three business days of becoming aware of the social media activity. Subsequently, Haaland would have three business days to provide any requested notes.
Following this period, the FA would take three working days to determine whether to charge Haaland, who would then have another three working days to respond to the charge. A Regulatory Commission meeting would be convened within ten business days of receiving Haaland’s response, potentially extending the ruling process until January 5 due to the holiday season.
The FA’s rules emphasize that players are accountable for content posted on their accounts, disallowing the assertion that someone else posted on their behalf. Deleting the post would not serve as a protective measure against potential punishment.
While the FA does not stipulate specific penalties for social media statements, financial penalties are identified as the most common form of sanction for such cases. This suggests that if the FA pursues an investigation, charge, and subsequent punishment for Haaland, a ban might not be the likely outcome.
As the situation unfolds, the FA’s opinion on Haaland’s social media activity is eagerly awaited, and the potential repercussions could impact the player’s availability in upcoming fixtures.
