CESC FABREGAS was once again forced to justify his behaviour last night after it was claimed he accused referee Lee Mason and his officials of being “paid” during a half-time rant.
Cesc Fabregas was furious that Everton striker Louis Saha’s opening goal was not ruled offside
Arsenal captain Fabregas was furious that Everton striker Louis Saha’s opening goal in Arsenal’s 2-1 victory was not ruled offside and openly remonstrated on the pitch with both Mason and his assistant Stephen Child.
Everton manager David Moyes claimed Fabregas should have been sent off for his “disgusting” comments aimed at Mason and his officials in the tunnel at half-time, something Arsene Wenger denied his captain had done.
But sources in and around the tunnel at the Emirates last night backed up Moyes’s accusation. They all alleged that Fabregas shouted , “How much are they being paid?”
Fabregas escaped punishment because, according to witnesses and an impeccable Arsenal source, he chose not to aim his words directly at Mason. Rather, he shouted them at the world in general as he stormed towards the home dressing room.
Had Mason heard them as being directed solely at him or any of his officials, he would have been obliged to act. As it is, Mason decided against taking matters further. He told the FA he will not be filing a report on it when they contacted him yesterday.
Moyes was also angered by Fabregas blasting Everton as “a team of cheats” as he let off steam in the tunnel.
But Arsenal maintain Fabregas did nothing that does not happen in tunnels up and down the country every week.
“There has been much talk about me saying things to the officials at half-time on Tuesday night,” said Fabregas. “All I can say is that I have respect for all match officials. Their job is a very difficult one and their decisions are final.
“Yes, I was upset at half-time. So too were about 60,000 Arsenal fans in the stadium. We were 1-0 down against a very good Everton side to a goal which we felt was offside. Of course I am going to be upset.
“Players from both sides were saying things as we came off the pitch and this always happens in football. I’m passionate about this club and, like all the players, want to win every single match, so many things are said in
the heat of the moment. Clearly the officials feel nothing serious happened, as I understand the referee has not included anything in his match report.”
But he has been the target of opposition criticism this season. Fabregas used his programme notes ahead of the Everton game to try to explain away the fact that Huddersfield player Anthony Pilkington branded him a ‘tit’ on Twitter and accused him of telling their players to ‘**** off’ when ask ing for his shirtfollowing their FA Cup match on Sunday. “I just want to set the record straight over the confusion about swapping shirts,” wrote Fabregas. “Quite a few Huddersfield players asked for my shirt at the end, but I only had two to give away.
“I had kept saying yes to people, but gave the shirts I had to a couple of their guys at the end. I wished I could have given all the shirts they had asked for – it wasn’t as if we had lost and I was upset.
“I’d just scored and I was happy. There was no reason for me to behave badly. But sometimes, if you’re in the heat of the moment and have lost, you say something you regret. ”
The Huddersfield squad were also upset Fabregas had attempted to get Jamie McCombe sent off for conceding a penalty, from which he scored, by waving an imaginary card at referee Mark Clattenburg.
Add to that Wigan manager Roberto Martinez accusing Fabregas of gamesmanship after he won a penalty that resulted in the sending off of defender Gary Caldwell on January 22.
Nor is he immune to criticisms from within. Team-mate Denilson recently said: “Fabregas is the captain, but he is not a leader.”
Having won a battle with Barcelona to keep Fabregas last season, Wenger seems reluctant to discipline him and does not want to rock the boat with his team performing so well .
But Arsenal look set to chase for honours without goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who will undergo a shoulder operation that is expected to rule him out for the rest of the season. Alex Song is a major doubt for Saturday’s game at Newcastle but Theo Walcott has recovered from an ankle knock .
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