Aston Villa and Tottenham have been fined £125,000 each by the FA for the mass confrontation that broke out at the end of their FA Cup third round clash on 10 January
Both Tottenham and Aston Villa have been hit with £125,000 fines by the FA following a mass confrontation that erupted at the final whistle of their FA Cup third round tie.
The flashpoint was triggered when Joao Palhinha took exception to Ollie Watkins celebrating Villa's victory directly in front of him.
An FA statement confirmed: "An independent Regulatory Commission has sanctioned Villa FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC for the mass confrontation that occurred at their FA Cup match on Saturday 10 January.
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"It was alleged that both clubs failed to ensure their players and/or officials did not behave in an improper and/or provocative way after the final whistle.
"Tottenham Hotspur FC and Aston Villa FC subsequently admitted the charge against them. The Regulatory Commission imposed a £125,000 fine on both clubs, and their written reasons for these decisions can be seen below."
The misconduct charges were brought against both clubs earlier this month, with the findings of the investigation now made public, reports Football London.
In the immediate aftermath, Thomas Frank addressed the incident and appeared to point the finger at Villa forward Ollie Watkins for his role in sparking the melee by celebrating the result in Joao Palhinha's face.
Questioned about whether his squad has a discipline problem, he responded: "I don't think so. I guess you have seen the situation through?"I just saw it to be sure I saw what I saw Of course, it is all about keeping a cool head.
"The players gave everything out there, losing a tight game, the season is not going perfect and I think Ollie is very provoking in the way he's going down to celebrate in front of the Villa fans.
"He is just walking into João and he could just easily walk around. Everyone who has a been of a competitive nature, it is difficult, that can trigger things."
Meanwhile, Unai Emery insisted Villa were frustrated with Palhinha's tackle on Boubacar Kamara, which resulted in his early substitution due to injury.
He said: "It is the referee's work. I respect the referees and the competition. We were only angry because Boubacar Kamara was getting injured in in one action with Palhinha.
"The referee today, he did a fantastic job. Some moments happen with some players, we can understand in the circumstances."
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