Steve Cooper has been fined £3,500 by the Football Association for comments he made about referee Andy Woolmer after Swansea City's 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.
The Swans head coach was left furious after the Northamptonshire official disallowed what would have been an injury time winner for his side when Kasey Palmer spectacularly converted from close range during the Championship match at the Liberty Stadium in November.
Speaking in his post-match press conference after the draw with the Owls, Cooper revealed he spoke to the governing body of English football before the fixture with Tony Pulis' side to voice his concerns about referee Woolmer.
"Apparently it was a foul on the goalkeeper that he blew the whistle for. Good luck in writing about that one, whatever it was," said Cooper.
"But it was a performance I predicted from the official and one that I spoke to the governing body about a few days ago. My prediction was right.
"One thing was for sure, that, whatever the decision was, it was not going to us. It's personal unfortunately.
"I spoke on the phone to the FA [before the game].
"There were a few warning signs with the appointment, and maybe my gripe isn't just with the performance on the pitch, maybe it's with how he came to be here.
"I don't want to say too much, because we know who loses in these situations, and it's me and the club with a fine.
"I thought I knew where things were going to go tonight, and sometimes I don't get things right, but I did with this one."
Cooper was subsequently charged with improper conduct, and on Monday afternoon, it was confirmed that the 41-year-old has been hit with a fine by the FA after he admitted his comments constitute improper conduct.
An FA statement read: "Swansea City FC’s Steve Cooper has been fined £3,500 for a breach of FA Rule E3 that followed an EFL Championship match against Sheffield Wednesday FC on Wednesday 25 November 2020.
"The head coach admitted that comments he made during a post-match interview constitute improper conduct, as they questioned the integrity of the match officials and bring the game into disrepute, and a Regulatory Commission imposed the sanction during a subsequent hearing."
He has escaped a touchline ban, which means he will be available to watch his side's Championship clash with Derby County on Wednesday evening from the Pride Park dugout.
Kick-off against the Rams is at 5:30pm.
