Paul Lambert: Aston Villa boss fined by FA for referee comments
Last updated on .From the section Football
Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has been fined £8,000 by the Football Association for his comments after his side's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea.
Lambert, who admitted the FA misconduct charge, had argued match-winner Branislav Ivanovic should have been dismissed for an elbow and his side should have had an injury-time penalty.
He said the two "major decisions" "were called wrong" by referee Kevin Friend.
"I'm pretty sure [a penalty] would have been given at the other end," he added.
"I thought it was two big moments that went unpunished."
Lambert, 44, contacted Mike Riley, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials who monitor referees' performances, to raise his concerns after the match on 21 August.
"I've spoken to Mike Riley," he said following the defeat. "It's up to him to watch the DVD. All I want is for the big decisions to be right.
"Everyone thought it was a penalty [an apparent John Terry handball in stoppage time]. It was a stone-waller. And it was an elbow from Ivanovic [on striker Christian Benteke]."
