Nuno Espirito Santo does not give up.
The Wolves manager said Wednesday he would not apologize for his grumpy criticism of referee Lee Mason following his club’s 2-1 defeat by Burnley to Turf Moore on Monday.
“I will not apologize for my words and thoughts,” Espirito Santo said Wednesday ahead of a visit to his Tottenham Hotspur club for the weekend.
After Monday’s defeat, the Portuguese manager got angry against Mason.
“Football is a physical game, a game of contact and referees who make decisions and be honest,” said Espirito Santo. “But the referee isn’t good enough to whistle; Lee Mason isn’t good enough. It’s not about major, crucial decisions. It’s the way he handles players – both teams lose focus, they always argue the decision. It has to improve because the game requires good refereeing and good handling of the game so that players can continue to perform. “
On Tuesday, the FA announced that it was opening an investigation due to the statements of Espirita Santa.
Espirito Santo admits that the timing of his words may not have been ideal, but that he never questioned Mason’s ethics.
“They weren’t in the best moment they came across, because that could be a bad interpretation,” Espirito Santo said in his comments. “I never question the integrity of a judge. What I said was about a judge’s ability.”
The Wolves currently rank 11th in the table, 10 points behind leader Liverpool and six behind Everton for the final spot in the Champions League.