PREMIER LEAGUE Fulham manager and player apologises to referee over incident at Old Trafford

Earlier this month, Fulham was defeated by Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup which led to the dismissal of two Fulham players and their manager.

A few days ago, the English FA charged Fulham manager Marco Silva and Aleksander Mitrovic for misconduct during their FA Cup tie against Manchester United which they lost 3-1.

Following his red card in Fulham's FA Cup loss to Manchester United, manager Marco Silva has apologized to referee Chris Kavanagh. Silva and striker Aleksander Mitrovic issued a combined statement of regret for their actions after Fulham's 3-1 loss at Old Trafford, which was posted on the club website.

Silva apology statement

After the incident at the theatre of dreams in the FA Cup, the Fulham striker and manager released a statement through the club's website apologising to the FA for their actions.

In a statement released by Silva reads, “Emotions were high at Old Trafford and, as I said in my press conference after the game, I should have controlled my own emotions better. It was a very difficult moment, in a match that we had dominated, but I could have handled the situation better.   

“I regret what happened, and I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise. He knows that I respect him and the job he has to do. Unfortunately, we did not see eye-to-eye on the day, but I recognise that he is one of the top referees in this country and I know that, when our paths cross again, there will be mutual respect between us.

“I am sorry that I was not on the pitch to try to lead the team to what could have been an historic FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley, but I am thankful for all the support I have received from Fulham fans over the last few days.”

Mitrovic claims he reacted wrongly

The Serbian striker has also made an apology statement to the FA regarding the incident at Old Trafford saying, “I have been away with my national team and have had some time to reflect on the Manchester United match. As everyone knows, it was a very emotional one, in which the team gave absolutely everything on the pitch to try to reach the Semi-Final of the FA Cup.

“On a personal level, I regret my actions that led to me being sent off. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong. I was trying to get the referee’s attention, but I appreciate that I should not have put my hands on him and I understand why he showed me a red card, my first in-game sending off for Fulham and my first since the 2015/16 season.

“I have accepted the three-match ban for my red card, I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise, and I have volunteered to accept a Club fine. I now want to do what I can to put this incident behind me and get back to helping my teammates on the pitch as soon as possible. 

“In the meantime, I would like to reiterate my regret that this happened. I have already said sorry to my teammates, but I would also like to apologise to the Fulham fans, particularly those who travelled to Old Trafford to support us and who did not stop singing all game. I hope to be back soon and repay their faith and support.”

Following Willian's dismissal for a blatant handball on the line that denied a goal-scoring chance, Silva protested on the sidelines and left his technical area to confront the official, Mitrovic was sent out for rough handling of the referee Kavanagh.

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