Hasenhuttl charged by FA over Dean comments

Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has been charged by the Football Association over his comments about video assistant referee Mike Dean following his side’s defeat at Chelsea.

Hasenhuttl was unhappy about the sending-off of James Ward-Prowse during the 3-1 defeat on October 2.

The midfielder was initially shown a yellow card by referee Martin Atkinson for a late tackle on Jorginho, but it was upgraded to red after Dean told his colleague to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

An FA statement read: “It is alleged that comments made by the manager during two post-match interviews constitute improper conduct in that they questioned the integrity of the VAR match official and/or implied bias and/or bring the game into disrepute.”

Hasenhuttl, who has been charged with two breaches of Rule E3, has until Tuesday, to respond.

Ward-Prowse’s dismissal came in the 77th minute of the match, with the score at 1-1, before Chelsea scored twice against 10 men to seal victory.

READ ALSO Hasenhuttl keen for Southampton to ‘start winning now’

meanwhile recent reports have suggested Saints players are ‘expecting’ Hasenhuttl to be sacked in the coming weeks

Southampton are currently 17th in the Premier League  winless in their opening seven fixtures  drawing four and losing three.

Their poor start to the season has increased the pressure on the Austrian manager, who has been at St Mary’s since December 2018.