Bad boys Chelsea show lack of respect to referees

LONDON (Reuters) - Chelsea may top the Premier League table but Jose Mourinho's side have the unfortunate tag of being the worst-behaved team in the top flight when it comes to respecting officials, according to Football Association Fair Play delegates.

Bad boys Chelsea show lack of respect to referees

(Reuters)





Chelsea, who have a seven-point lead in the Premier League with seven games remaining, have received widespread criticism for their attitude towards referees this season despite Mourinho suggesting they are victims of a 'campaign' by the FA and media.

The data, complied by FA Fair Play delegates who attend every Premier League match, shows Chelsea have the least respect towards match officials, the Telegraph reported.

Teams are marked out of seven when assessing behaviour towards the referee and his assistants, and Chelsea have a respect mark of 159 compared to Liverpool's 181, which makes Brendan Rodgers's side the most respectful towards officials.

"A positive attitude, including the acceptance of doubtful decisions without protest, will be rewarded with high marks," guidelines published on the Premier League website state.

"Normal behaviour without any particular positive attitudes or gestures towards match officials is likely to receive a score of 6 rather than 7."

Chelsea are also the second worst team when it comes to the behaviour of club staff on the touchline, with struggling Sunderland the only side above them.

Mourinho's assistant Rui Faria appeared to celebrate Cesc Fabregas's late winner right in front of opposition manager Chris Ramsey in Sunday's west London derby against Queens Park Rangers.

"Positive and negative aspects of the team officials' conduct will be assessed -- such as whether they calm down or provoke angry players or fans and how they accept the decisions of the referee," the guidelines state.

"Co-operation with the media will also be taken into account."

West Ham United currently lead the overall Fair Play League.





(Reporting By Michael Hann; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)


Share

2 min read

Published


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world