MOURINHO AND WENGER: THE RIOUTOUS BROTHERS

02-03-2007

The reverberations are still being felt around the football word following last Sunday's Carling Cup prize-fighting final in Cardiff. SteveBeauchampé sticks the boot in.

Like I suspect most other football fans, I am heartily sick of the whinging, self-important, boorish, tiresome, petulant behaviour of Arsenal and Chelsea and their windbag managers.

Sunday's on pitch riot at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium and the post-match remarks (over a period of several days) of coaches Arsene Wenger and José Mourinho was just the latest (though worst) in a seemingly endless series of disputes between the two clubs and almost every other opponent or match official they come into contact with.

For too long Arsenal, Chelsea, their players, coaches and directors have been the standard bearers for all that is wrong with English top flight football, the antitheses of grace, goodwill and sportsmanship and it is well past time that the FA and Premier League dealt seriously with the situation.

If FIFA's phrase Fair Play Please, to which both of these domestic governing bodies sign up, has any currency beyond that of being a glib marketing term, then I suggest they impose the following sanctions and penalties on the two clubs:

1/ Any player found guilty of charges relating to the incident banned from all domestic and European club football until June 1st 2007

2/ Both clubs to be banned from next season's Carling Cup

3/ Both clubs to be fined £3m for failing to control their players, the money given to grass roots football projects in the Cardiff area

4/ Both coaches to have their coaching licences removed until October 1st
2007

5/ Both clubs to begin the 2007/8 season with a ten point penalty

6/ Premiership matches between both clubs to be cancelled for the next two seasons, with no points awarded. Thus, Arsenal and Chelsea would play just 36 games, compared to 38 for the rest of the League

Further instances of serious misconduct (verbal or physical) by the
players, coaches, management, staff or directors of either club during seasons 2006/7; 2007/8; 2008/9 to incur substantial additional punishments.

HASBeauchampé GONE IN OVER THE TOP. LEAVE A MESSAGE IN THE SPORT SECTION OF OUR MESSAGEBOARD