Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and his assistant Carlos Queiroz have been charged with improper conduct, the FA said yesterday.

The charges relate to comments they made to the media following United's shock 1-0 home defeat by Portsmouth in the FA Cup quarter-final in March.

Ferguson said in an interview that referee Martin Atkinson had been "on Portsmouth's side" and accused English referees chief Keith Hackett of "not doing his job properly".

In a newspaper report Queiroz was quoted as saying Atkinson was "a robber".

Ferguson and Queiroz have until April 17 to respond, the FA said on its website www.thefa.com.

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