LONDON: Liverpool’s Ryan Babel admitted to a charge of improper conduct on Thursday after posting a mocked-up Twitter photo of referee Howard Webb wearing a Manchester United shirt after the Reds’ FA Cup defeat by their bitter rivals last weekend.
Babel – the first player to be charged by the Football Association (FA) for images and comments posted on the social networking site – has requested a personal hearing that will take place on Jan 17.
The picture appeared on the Dutch forward’s official page on Twitter just hours after United beat Liverpool 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday – a match refereed by Webb.
Webb, who refereed last year’s World Cup final, angered Liverpool by awarding United a first-minute penalty from which Ryan Giggs scored before sending-off Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard.
As well as the photo, Babel wrote: “And they call him one of the best referees? That’s a joke. SMH (shaking my head).”
The 24-year-old Dutchman subsequently apologised to Webb, saying: “My apology if they (Babel’s Twitter ‘followers’) take my posted pic seriously. This is just an emotional reaction after losing an important game. Sorry Howard Webb.”
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