Jose Mourinho rejects FA charge over improper conduct following 'abusive' outburst at television cameras

Jose Mourinho has denied the Football Association charge of improper conduct levelled at him for ­“abusive” comments made in Portuguese to the television cameras after his team’s victory over ­Newcastle United this month.

The Manchester United manager could be facing a touchline ban for the remarks he made to the pitchside mobile camera on Oct 6 after his team had come back from two goals behind to beat Newcastle 3-2 at Old Trafford. He was charged with using abusive language in his native Portuguese and now has taken the option of contesting the charge via what the FA term a ­non-personal hearing that he does not have to attend.

The deadline to respond was ­extended to 6pm on Wednesday and Mourinho did have the option of ­accepting the FA charge. It will now go to a three-person independent regulatory commission, who will decide whether Mourinho is guilty of the charge laid out by the FA and, if so, set the punishment. The majority of high-profile players and coaches charged by the FA do not attend the hearings in person.

The concern for Mourinho is that the commission could give him a touchline ban. Wayne Rooney was given a two-match ban for swearing into a television camera at ­Upton Park in 2011. He appealed the ban on the grounds of it being excessive and was suspended for the FA Cup semi-final that season against Manchester City.

Lip-reading as to the precise nature of the language used by Mourinho suggests it was an abusive remark in Portuguese. The commission is expected to meet next week with a view to the judgment coming before next week’s fixtures. Mourinho’s deadline to respond to the FA was extended from the end of last week.

The original FA charge was: “It is alleged that his [Mourinho’s] language at the end of the fixture, as captured by the broadcast footage, was abusive and/or insulting and/or improper.”

The club are also looking at their pre-match travel arrangements after the team coach was again caught in traffic prior to the match against Juventus, prompting Mourinho to walk with security for the final part of the journey from the team’s Hilton Garden hotel near the Old Trafford cricket ground. The club had already changed their previous arrangements when they stayed at the Lowry hotel, which is in Manchester city centre, albeit located on the Salford side of the River Irwell.

There were three pitch invaders over the course of the 1-0 home defeat by Juventus, one in the first half and two more at the end of the game as players were leaving the pitch. Uefa charged the club for “field invasion” in the light of those security failures. The Uefa control, ethics and disciplinary body will hear the case on Nov 22, which is the week before United host their final group game against Young Boys.

A United spokesperson said: “We will be responding to the Uefa charge and we are reviewing our pitchside security protocols in the light of the pitch incursions.”