Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca given touchline suspension after ‘nice moment’

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca will serve a touchline ban during their Champions League qualification race after getting booked against Fulham.

Mikel Arteta was the joint leader for Premier League manager yellow cards in 2023/24, sharing that title with the departed Roberto De Zerbi on five each.

The most cards a manager has received in a season since the rule was introduced at the start of 2018/19 was De Zerbi himself, with six in 2022/23. That proud record is in danger.

 

Premier League managers with five cards this season

Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)

First booking
Newcastle (August 25) – shown a yellow card by David Coote in the 94th minute for dissent after a winning goal from Dango Ouattara was disallowed for handball.

“I went to talk to the referee, but I think the referee today could not do much more. He gave a goal. (The VAR officials) didn’t give him the chance to see the images again. What is he going to do? He took the right decision. He dealt quite well with the game, I think. He cannot do much more. It’s obvious he’s not the one that has made a mistake today,” he said.

Second booking
West Ham (August 28) – shown a yellow card by Peter Bankes in the 91st minute for dissent after a late Jarrod Bowen winner appeared to come off his elbow.

“It’s even more clear. I don’t know what to say. We are not making these mistakes but we are suffering the consequences, and we are out of the competition because of a mistake. I don’t know what we have to do to change something but obviously it’s costing us a lot. We haven’t won on Sunday because of VAR and we are out of the cup because there is no VAR,” he said.

Third booking
Liverpool (September 21) – shown a yellow card by Tony Harrington in the 25th minute for dissent after Luis Diaz’s opening goal.

“I think it was clear what happened, I asked for an offside and for VAR but they think I asked for a yellow card and it wasn’t even a foul for Liverpool. Probably they understand why but they cannot accept any appeal for yellow cards they told me, so I will be upstairs, yes,” he said of his suspension.

Fourth booking
Tottenham (December 8) – shown a yellow card by Michael Salisbury in the 30th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Dara O’Shea for a perceived foul on Justin Kluivert.

“There’s a penalty to Justin. We continue and hit the post but the first official says, ‘No, it’s a penalty but we decide to give the advantage.’ If it’s a penalty it’s a penalty, you know? The advantage has to be not super, super, super clear. Luckily for us it didn’t cost us in the end,” he said.

Fifth booking
Liverpool (February 1) – shown a yellow card by Darren England in the 76th minute for dissent after complaining about a series of decisions.

“I can complain about the consistency of the decisions. The levels of the players, we deserve to talk about them. I will try to speak about the players – they’re the ones who deserve that,” he said.

 

Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton)

First booking
Arsenal (August 31) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 43rd minute for dissent after a Declan Rice foul on Joel Veltman for which the midfielder was booked.

“I was booked because I was complaining about the tackle against Joel. For me, of course we can mistake that in the Premier League that it’s a yellow card but I think nobody can complain if it’s a red. Not because of the foul but it’s more like the way he’s going into the duel,” he said.

Second booking
Nottingham Forest (September 22) – shown a red card by Robert Jones in the 87th minute for entering the field of play without the referee’s permission after Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off for a foul on Joao Pedro. The touchline ban was later rescinded following a discussion with PGMOL head Howard Webb, although he was fined by the FA for acting in an improper manner.

“I know what the fine will be and I also know that I will be on the sideline against Chelsea. I also have to learn out of this situation, how fast you can get a red card here in this league. But, of course, the fine we will accept. If you give a red card for this, you have to ban a lot of coaches during the games because in an emotional situation of the game it will happen that you make a step on the pitch. Of course we are role models and we have to act like this. But I think sometimes you also should bring out your emotions. In this case it was to protect Joao Pedro because it was a hard tackle on him. If I don’t show emotions there, me as a player, I would say, ‘the coach isn’t interested in me’, so that’s why I try to show emotions in some part of the games,” he said.

Third booking
Southampton (November 29) – shown a yellow card by Robert Jones in the 31st minute for dissent after Kyle Walker-Peters was booked for a foul on Georginio Rutter.

“You have to be very careful what you say in England. My yellow card is something that I cannot understand and I have to adapt to this here. How you talk to each other (on the touchline) is so important and that’s how I’ve been educated,” he said.

Fourth booking
Aston Villa (December 30) – shown a yellow card by Craig Pawson in the 37th minute for dissent after complaining about the decision to award Villa a penalty for a foul on Morgan Rogers, having felt that Bart Verbruggen was impeded from a corner beforehand.

“In the end, you can give the penalty but you can’t not give the foul on Bart. When it continues like this, you see it every weekend the blocking goalkeeper – if the Premier League doesn’t find a clear rule it will end in a different sport. In a normal game when a player is blocked when the ball is not near from him, it’s always a foul, so I don’t understand why it’s not a foul, they have to find an answer. It can be part of the game, but it should be a clear rule as to what is allowed and what isn’t. When it happens during the game you always get a foul in the midfield if you’re blocked, so why not blocked on a set-piece?” he said.

Fifth booking
Nottingham Forest (February 1) – shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper in the 58th minute for dissent after a clash of heads between Nikola Milenkovic and Danny Welbeck.

“Being emotional is part of it. I know the statistic, but in the end, emotions are part of the game. When we look at the decisions today, they were really poor. I have to deal with it, deal with the pressure and the disappointment. I will try and be a role model in the case of finding the right solutions. That is my job now,” he said.

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Julen Lopetegui (West Ham)

First booking
Liverpool (September 25) – shown a yellow card by Andy Madley in the 69th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Kostas Tsimikas for a perceived handball.

“In the second half, I think that it’s a penalty. The new rule is really clear that it hit the hand. It was no penalty and in the next action they scored,” he said.

Second booking
Everton (November 9) – shown a yellow card by Stuart Attwell in the 86th minute for dissent towards a match official, but it is not clear what happened.

Lopetegui offered no public comment.

Third booking
Newcastle (November 25) – shown a yellow card by Craig Pawson in the 21st minute for dissent after complaining about Crysencio Summerville being adjudged to have fouled Sean Longstaff.

“I am not happy, but more importantly is the players will be on the pitch,” he said of his touchline ban.

Fourth booking
Bournemouth (December 16) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 63rd minute for dissent after complaining about Edson Alvarez being booked for a foul on Antoine Semenyo.

Lopetegui offered no public comment.

Fifth booking
Manchester City (January 4) – shown a yellow card by Michael Salisbury in the 23rd minute for dissent after complaining about Crysencio Summerville being adjudged to have fouled Manuel Akanji.

“There was another key moment when Crysencio Summerville regained the ball in a very clear press and the referee whistled for a foul, but it was not a foul. It was very clear and had a very good press,” he said.

 

Premier League managers with four cards this season

Steve Cooper (Leicester)

First booking
Aston Villa (August 31) – shown a yellow card by David Coote in the 93rd minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Youri Tielemans for a perceived foul on Jamie Vardy; it was incorrectly awarded as a Villa throw-in instead.

“I think everybody in the stadium would have been booked if the referee could have got around to it. I’ve just accepted that the refereeing is where it is. The key message to us was that the threshold for tackles and duels, in this beautiful English game that we love, was going to be raised. I can remember it clearly. And then we get that,” he said.

Second booking
Arsenal (September 28) – shown a yellow card by Sam Barrott in the 21st minute for dissent after a perceived foul on Jamie Vardy by William Saliba in the build-up to Arsenal’s first goal.

“We were very disappointed with a foul not being given on Vards for the first goal. And although we don’t come into games trying to get players sent off, why he hasn’t sent off Calafiori is a little bit beyond belief. Because of the spell we’re in and the spell that I’m in personally, I’m trying to not let referees’ decisions be the headline, as I’m trying to take responsibility for a team that needs to get better results. But we feel those were two poor decisions,” he said.

Third booking
Manchester United (October 30) – shown a yellow card by Andy Madley in the 32nd minute for dissent after complaining about a perceived offside in the build-up to Alejandro Garnacho’s goal.

“Maybe there’s a bit of sympathy for the linesman. He’s a Premier League linesman and he’s used to the protection of VAR. But he can’t make a mistake like that. It was a big moment in the game. We score soon after and it should be 1-1. It’s 2-1. The referee’s enjoyed giving me a yellow card as well. He looked like he had a good time tonight. That was that. But I want to stand up for my team. You can’t just see an image on the bench and just accept it,” he said.

Fourth booking
Chelsea (November 23) – shown a yellow card by Andy Madley in the 68th minute for dissent after complaining about a series of decisions.

“I think that was probably a bit of self protection for the officials of how they were doing at that time rather than actually for what I might have said because I didn’t know,” he said.

 

Arne Slot (Liverpool)

First booking
Chelsea (October 20) – shown a yellow card by John Brooks in the 26th minute for dissent after complaining about a series of decisions which went against Liverpool.

“The booking came from the fact that, I think there were three or four decisions that didn’t go in our favour. So it was a handball, I don’t know if it was, but everybody was screaming for it, so I did as well. Then there was the red card situation, then there was the penalty situation just afterwards. So there were a few things going against us, and I think sometimes you cannot hold your emotions, and that’s what you saw with me as well. He deserved to give me a yellow card. He should have given me, which he did. I deserved it. I have to put it like this,” he said.

Second booking
Arsenal (October 27) – shown a yellow card by Anthony Taylor in the 72nd minute for dissent after complaining about a series of decisions which went against Liverpool.

“Last time, I said I completely deserved the yellow card. This time I don’t think I did. So many times they were on the floor, which can happen in football, I don’t blame them for that. But they always fell down after they had ball possession and that took the energy out of the game in my opinion. I said to Ibou Konate, ‘This is a f**king joke.’ The fourth official thought I said to him: ‘You are a f**king joke.’ That’s definitely not what I said. I got a yellow for that so now I’m on two and I have to be careful,” he said.

Third booking
Fulham (December 14) – shown a yellow card by Tony Harrington in the 57th minute for dissent after complaining about Curtis Jones being booked for a foul on Alex Iwobi.

“There were a few moments when I could have been given a yellow card. It’s an emotional game and we were a man down, it’s frustrating. It’s good to see our performance after so many setbacks. It’s difficult to judge for me because I only see it in real-time like the referee. We have to accept what VAR sees. You know how important these decisions can be. We ended up with a draw and I don’t think we can blame the referee for that,” he said.

Fourth booking
Everton (February 12) – shown a red card by Michael Oliver after the game for persistent foul and abusive language after Everton’s late equaliser; Abdoulaye Doucoure and Curtis Jones were also both sent off after the final whistle.

“I won’t go into details. I think what happened was the extra time ended up being eight. It happens a lot. The emotions got the better of me, if I look back I would love to do it differently. There is an ongoing process and I will respect that. Many things happened in extra time that led to me being quite emotional. There was a VAR review for two minutes and I thought, maybe the only thing that could happen is he looks back at the foul, or maybe it’s offside. Of course then, after 10 minutes you hear there fans cheering and you [realise] it’s not offside. It is an emotional sport and sometimes individuals with emotions make the wrong decisions. That is definitely what I did,” he said.

READ MORE: Arne Slot ‘raging’ as ex-PGMOL chief admits to Michael Oliver mistake in Merseyside derby

 

Premier League managers with three cards this season

Unai Emery (Aston Villa)

First booking
Everton (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Craig Pawson in the 85th minute for dissent towards a match official, but it is not clear what triggered any outburst. There are some suggestions he ventured out of his technical area while ranting at Ross Barkley, and we’ve all been there.

Emery offered no public comment.

Second booking
Wolves (September 21) – shown a yellow card by Tim Robinson in the 65th minute for dissent after complaining that Jorgen Strand Larsen was taking too long vacating the field after being substituted.

Emery offered no public comment.

Third booking
Arsenal (January 18) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 63rd minute for dissent after kicking the ball back onto the pitch when play had stopped.

“I don’t know. I kicked the ball. I think I kicked the ball. I only kicked the ball in the direction of the players. You are smiling! You are smiling! Okay, yellow card, and the next match I am out. Okay. I can see it. I’ll be quiet. I didn’t deserve a yellow but okay, I accept it,” he said.

 

Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)

First booking
Bournemouth (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Anthony Taylor in the 66th minute for dissent after a perceived foul on Wesley Fofana was not given.

“It’s not a problem, this amount of yellow cards. It is what it is. I complained about a foul on Wesley Fofana which for me was quite clear but it can happen. Eight yellow cards probably because these sort of games are about duels and fight and this can happen. Sometimes the game demands the way you have to behave,” he said.

Second booking
Newcastle (October 27) – shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper in the 93rd minute for dissent after Christopher Nkunku was booked for a foul on Bruno Guimaraes.

Maresca offered no public comment.

Third booking
Fulham (April 20) – shown a yellow card by Anthony Taylor in the 93rd minute for entering the field of play without the referee’s permission while celebrating a Pedro Neto winner.

“I was very happy, first of all because it’s a nice feeling to win the game at the end but I think it was a moment for the players because they deserve to share that moment with the fans. So this is the reason why I left the pitch immediately and then when we scored the second one I celebrated and this is the reason why they gave me a yellow card. But for sure I think it was a nice moment for the players and for the fans to share that moment,” he said.

 

Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

First booking
Arsenal (September 22) – shown a yellow card by Michael Oliver in the 97th minute for entering the field of play without the referee’s permission while celebrating a John Stones equaliser.

Guardiola offered no public comment.

Second booking
Fulham (October 5) – shown a yellow card by Peter Bankes in the 93rd minute for dissent after sarcastically applauding the booking of Ederson for time-wasting.

Guardiola offered no public comment.

Third booking
Bournemouth (March 30) – shown a yellow card by Stuart Attwell in the 61st minute for dissent after complaining about Bournemouth not putting the ball out when Erling Haaland was down injured.

Guardiola offered no public comment.

 

Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest)

First booking
Southampton (August 24) – shown a yellow card by Sam Barrott in the 20th minute for dissent after Ben Brereton Diaz was not booked for a foul on Anthony Elanga.

Espirito Santo offered no public comment.

Second booking
Brighton (September 22) – shown a red card by Robert Jones in the 87th minute for persistent foul and abusive language after Morgan Gibbs-White was sent off for a foul on Joao Pedro.

“It looks like a yellow card sometimes, others it’s a good tackle. It’s a hard one to judge. That’s why I think us as a club and all the clubs should support the referee as it’s a tough task. It’s emotional, we are under a lot of stress. That [Jones initially signalling that Gibbs-White had won the ball] was the mess. But let’s hope they improve and we continue. I don’t want to see it as a problem. I see it as a very hard job to do,” he said. Nuno was later given a three-game touchline suspension and fine by the FA.

Third booking
Chelsea (October 6) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 74th minute for dissent after Malo Gusto blocked a Morgan Gibbs-White shot and the Nottingham Forest forward suffered an injury.

“Please referees understand that we are there on the touchline and on the pitch, it is very emotional. There are so many things happening, so many thoughts and so many circumstances. It is very hard to keep our emotions together. I must apologise for my behaviour, but I didn’t do anything that another manager wouldn’t do,” he said.

Nuno’s assistant Rui Pedro Silva has also received two yellow cards this season. He was booked in the same incident which saw both managers and Gibbs-White sent off against Brighton, then in the aftermath of Callum Hudson-Odoi’s goal in the win over West Ham. Both yellows were for dissent.

 

Russell Martin (Southampton)

First booking
Manchester United (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Stuart Attwell in the 81st minute for dissent after Jack Stephens was sent off for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho.

“The only thing I was annoyed about was the process of the fourth official and the ref looking at each other for ages and asking if they would give it. So that was my only frustration. I felt maybe he missed him during the game, but I think he’s made contact, so it is what it is,” he said.

Second booking
Leicester (October 19) – shown a yellow card by Anthony Taylor in the 99th minute for dissent after complaining about the amount of stoppage time; Jordan Ayew scored the winner in the 98th minute.

“I was frustrated at the end. We’d played longer than the seven minutes but that’s just frustration and emotion coming out,” he said.

Third booking
Manchester City (October 26) – shown a yellow card by Tony Harrington in the 43rd minute for dissent after Flynn Downes was booked for a foul on Bernardo Silva.

“It’s a bad decision because Flynn takes the ball and gets booked. I didn’t swear at the fourth official, I threw my arms up in the air at a bad decision and I got booked. I’m not happy about that because I miss a game next week. If I’m wrong and I deserve a yellow card, then I hold my hands up. But today, I think that’s nonsense. I’ll probably get fined for that as well, but it is nonsense,” he said.

 

Vitor Pereira (Wolves)

First booking
Aston Villa (February 1) – shown a yellow card by Andy Madley in the 53rd minute for dissent after complaining about the award of a free-kick.

Pereira offered no public comment.

Second booking
Liverpool (February 16) – shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper in the 29th minute for dissent after complaining about a series of decisions.

“Why was I booked? I don’t know, maybe because I’m emotional. I’m not watching a movie on the sofa, I am competing and when you’re competing you’re emotional. We must understand the emotional side. I’m trying to accept a lot of decisions today. I’m trying,” he said.

Third booking
West Ham (April 1) – shown a yellow card by Tony Harrington in the 45th minute for dissent towards a match official, but it is not clear what happened.

READ MORE: Van Nistelrooy still clear favourite, but might this season’s Sack Race already be run?

 

Premier League managers with two cards this season

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)

First booking
Manchester United (January 12) – shown a yellow card by Andy Madley in the 65th minute for dissent in the aftermath of Diogo Dalot’s red card for a second bookable offence and Gabriel Magalhaes’ goal.

Arteta offered no public comment.

Second booking
Aston Villa (January 18) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 30th minute for dissent after arguing over a throw-in.

Arteta offered no public comment.

 

Thomas Frank (Brentford)

First booking
Tottenham (September 21) – shown a yellow card by John Brooks in the 59th minute for dissent after a perceived handball outside the box by Guglielmo Vicario.

“He had handled it outside the box. That incident did not define the game. It was a mistake. It could have been a free-kick to us. It could have helped us. But, hey, you never know. I think the probability of scoring from a direct free-kick is like 0.0543. So probably not the biggest probability for scoring anyway. And I think John Brooks overall had a very good game. The way he handled soft fouls both ways was really good,” he said.

Second booking
Everton (November 23) – shown a yellow card by Chris Kavanagh in the 43rd minute for dissent after Christian Norgaard was sent off for a foul on Jordan Pickford following a VAR review.

“I was frustrated but didn’t abuse the fourth official. Yes, I looked at Chris on the pitch and maybe pointed a bit but that is not a yellow and we’re also taking emotions out of the game. I’d understand if I was running in and abusing then I’d completely hold my hand up,” he said.

 

Marco Silva (Fulham)

First booking
Leicester (August 24) – shown a yellow card by Darren Bond in the 82nd minute for dissent after a perceived Victor Kristiansen foul on Calvin Bassey was not given.

Silva offered no public comment.

Second booking
West Ham (September 14) – shown a yellow card by Tim Robinson in the 16th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Max Kilman for a perceived foul on Adama Traore.

“It’s a clear penalty in my opinion, it’s incredible how it’s not a penalty so this is difficult to accept. I don’t have doubts. On the field I didn’t and after I don’t as well. When my player is sprinting one-on-one with the goalkeeper and someone pushes from behind, it’s almost impossible…it’s difficult to accept how the decision on the field was like that. It was clear for me and for you. We have to respect the decision but it had a massive impact in the game. If it’s a penalty, he should’ve been sent off, he didn’t try to play the ball. In that moment it’s a clear penalty and a clear red card,” he said.

 

Gary O’Neil (Wolves)

First booking
Arsenal (August 17) – shown a yellow card by Jarred Gillett in the 87th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Jurrien Timber for a perceived foul on Hwang Hee-chan.

O’Neil offered no public comment.

Second booking
Nottingham Forest (August 31) – shown a yellow card by Simon Hooper in the 78th minute for dissent after a penalty was not given against Chris Wood for an alleged handball.

“How outstretched Chris Woods’ arm was and the fact it hits him right on the hand, it looked fairly obvious to me. It’s interesting how close Simon got to blowing his whistle. Very close to his lips,” he said.

 

Premier League managers with one card this season

Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)

First booking
Newcastle (November 30) – shown a yellow card by Darren England in the 94th minute for leaving the technical area to celebrate Daniel Munoz’s equaliser with his players.

Glasner offered no public comment.

 

Sean Dyche (Everton)

First booking
Leicester (September 21) – shown a yellow card by Darren England in the 46th minute for dissent after Michael Keane was booked for a foul on James Justin.

Dyche offered no public comment.

 

Erik ten Hag (Manchester United)

First booking
Brentford (October 19) – shown a yellow card by Sam Barrott in the 51st minute for dissent after Brentford scored from a corner when Matthijs de Ligt was sent to receive treatment on a head injury for the third time.

“It was dry blood so he was already treated for the injury. I didn’t understand why he was sent [to the touchline]. I went over to Matthijs and he said: ‘It is dry blood and I have to come off – I don’t know why.’ A huge moment because Brentford are very good at corners and you miss one of your best headers. We felt some injustice and used it as fuel, the madness and anger,” he said.

 

Premier League managers with zero cards this season

David Moyes (Everton), Kieran McKenna (Ipswich), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Leicester), Ruben Amorim (Manchester United), Eddie Howe (Newcastle), Ivan Juric (Southampton), Ange Postecoglou (Tottenham) and Graham Potter (West Ham).