Martinez charged with improper conduct

Roberto Martinez, the Wigan Athletic shirts manager, has been charged with improper conduct after he accused referee Stuart Attwell of 'lying'.

The FA have confirmed the Spaniard will face punishment for comments made in the wake of the 3-0 defeat by Manchester City as the game turned on the second-half dismissal of Gary Caldwell.

The Scotland international defender was sent off in the 56th minute, while the score was 0-0, for a challenge on Carlos Tevez. The Argentina international then went on to score a 12-minute hat-trick as City eased to victory against ten men.

Martinez lambasted Attwell, the Premier League's youngest referee, for making the decision despite not being able to see the tackle properly. "I cannot understand how you can give something you can't see," he said after the match. "To give a red card you have to be certain.

"Gary said he went in really strong and got the ball. Carlos Tevez saw it and jumped off the ground, he is the one who left both feet in.

"We are all human beings and we all make mistakes but to give a decision after something you don't see, that is lying. You are making it up. That is hard to take. He [the referee] said he saw Gary Caldwell with both feet off the ground. That's why he gave the red card. But Gary Caldwell only went with one foot. That is a real injustice."

The FA wrote to Martinez asking him to explain his comments and have now issued an improper conduct charge.