24 March 2023 , 06:00
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You might remember a video clip from Jose Mourinho’s time at Spurs when he sits back down in his bucket seat, smiling and laughing after Ilkay Gundogan has had a penalty saved by Hugo Lloris.
Grinning, he takes a swig of water but his assistant then suggests Raheem Sterling should be getting a second yellow card after a VAR review suggested he dived in the aftermath of the unsuccessful spot-kick.
Mourinho slams the cap down on the bottle and, with his lackey in his wake, sprints to confront the fourth official, who feels compelled to take a step back.
Oh, how we laughed. “Awesome, brilliant,” chuckled Ian Wright on Match of the Day.
It might have been a minor - to many, highly amusing - incident but it was emblematic of how conscious intimidation of match officials has become part and parcel of Premier League football.
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And the manhandling of Chris Kavanagh by Aleksandar Mitrovic was a natural progression of the practice.
Because the problem is that for too long, too many of the big names from the big clubs have got away with it, almost scot-free.
It seems the laziest of claims to suggest the box office figures get preferential treatment but it has become increasingly hard to prove otherwise.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should stricter punishments be in place for players who try to intimidate referees? Comment below
Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham barged into referee Chris Kavanagh (Getty Images)Remember Jurgen Klopp’s antics during the game against Manchester City at Anfield earlier this season when, screaming, he got in the face of the assistant referee?
The FA had to appeal against a commission’s original sentence just to get Klopp a one-match touchline ban.
It was not so much a slap of the wrist as a gentle brush of it.
The one blot on the fantastic, beautiful landscape of football created by Klopp and Pep Guardiola has been their relentless harassment of officials.
The Football Association keeps producing slogans but keeps producing pathetic punishments.
Bruno Fernandes lays hands on an assistant referee during Manchester United’s drubbing at Anfield but nothing happens.
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And this guy persistently berates referees.
The irony is that it is now lovely, little Fulham - and Mitrovic - who have become the season’s headline transgressors.
In one way, the length of Mitrovic’s ban is pretty much irrelevant.
His absence will be keenly felt by his club but the chances of them snatching a European place were already slim and the chances of them going down were already zero.
Mitrovic can just have a nice holiday and let’s crack on.
His boss, Marco Silva, will also get a suspension but a touchline ban for a manager is the flimsiest sanction in football.
Marco Silva was furious after being sent off vs Man Utd (Getty Images)There have been great managers in history who have preferred to sit in the stands.
Never mind the catchy phrases - I think ‘Enough is Enough’ was the latest effort - the Mitrovic incident shows it is time for a fundamental reset.
Not only do fines need to be heavier, suspensions longer, but a truly meaningful punishment needs to be more than the most idle of threats.
Persistent, serious offences from employees of the same club should result in points being docked.
Even if the offenders are the Premier League’s most prized performers.