Leeds United's Victor Orta charged by FA over Millwall tunnel incident

Victor Orta and James Mooney were both alleged to have committed breaches of FA Rule E3 with their behaviour during separate incidents in the tunnel during the break.

The FA charged Orta over his language and behaviour and Mooney over improper conduct. They have both accepted the charges.

An FA spokesperson said: "Leeds United FC’s Director of Football, Victor Orta, and Head of Media and Communications, James Mooney, have separately been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 following the club’s EFL Championship fixture against Millwall FC on Tuesday 28 January 2020.

"It is alleged that Victor Orta’s language and/or behaviour in the tunnel area at half time amounts to improper conduct.

"It is alleged that James Mooney’s behaviour, which occurred in a separate incident in the tunnel area at half time, also amounts to improper conduct. Both have until Tuesday 4 February 2020 to provide their responses."

A club spokesperson said: "Victor and James will accept the charges issued to them by the FA, both incidents show a lack of judgement but we do not believe that either party has used inappropriate language or acted aggressively. The club will not make any further comment at this time."

Leeds were incensed by some of the decisions made by the officials in the first half, including the awarding of a goal-kick to Millwall, when Lions keeper Bartosz Bialkowski saved Stuart Dallas' shot, and the awarding of a penalty to the visitors seconds after the ball appeared to go out of play.

Millwall boss Gary Rowett said in his post match press conference that referee Darren England had come under pressure at half-time.

He said: "I thought it was a difficult game for different reasons. There was a little bit of pressure on him at half-time. I won't go into too much detail on that and the fans put him under pressure because that's what they do here. It wasn't any of the coaching or playing staff, put it that way.

"We do the same at home. It's what it is. It was a difficult game to referee and in the first half we might've had our rub of the green. In the second half they certainly got the big decisions."