Troy Deeney has been handed a fine of £20,000 by the Football Association for comments he made following his Watford side’s draw at Bournemouth earlier this month.
The striker claimed referee David Coote “bottled it” when it came to making decisions during the 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium.
He admitted an FA charge, accepting that his interview “questioned the integrity of the match official and/or were personally offensive in relation to the match official”, the governing body announced.
The 30-year-old, who scored twice in the thrilling draw, felt Dan Gosling should have been sent off for a foul on Tom Cleverley and that his side should have been awarded a penalty after Nathan Ake handled the ball in the area.
He said in an interview alongside Cherries midfielder Ryan Fraser: “I think the referee, to be fair, bottled it on a few occasions. There’s a handball right at the end. I’m not one to hammer refs, but he bottled it on a few occasions today.”
He was handed the fine following an independent regulatory commission hearing on Wednesday.