Watford striker Troy Deeney has been fined £20,000 by the Football Association for his post-match comments after his side’s game at Bournemouth.
Deeney accused referee David Coote of “bottling” several decisions in his side’s 3-3 draw with the Cherries on January 2.
He admitted an FA charge, accepting that his interview “questioned the integrity of the match official and/or were personally offensive in relation to the match official”, the governing body announced.
The 30-year-old, who scored twice in the thrilling draw, felt Dan Gosling should have been sent off for a foul on Tom Cleverley and that his side should have been awarded a penalty after Nathan Ake handled the ball in the area.
He said on a Match of the Day interview: “I think the referee, to be fair, bottled it on a few occasions. There’s a handball right at the end. I’m not one to hammer refs, but he bottled it on a few occasions today.”
He was handed the fine following an independent regulatory commission hearing on Wednesday.
