Maguire One-Match Ban And £30k Fine For Abuse Of Official

Harry Maguire has been suspended for one match and fined £30,000 after being found to have used abusive language towards a match official, following a Football Association regulatory hearing.

The The Football Association (FA) confirmed the sanction after an independent Regulatory Commission reviewed an incident involving the Manchester United defender during a Premier League clash with AFC Bournemouth on 20 March 2026.

Maguire was sent off in the 78th minute of the match for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The case, however, centred on his conduct as he left the pitch, where he was alleged to have directed abusive remarks at fourth official Matthew Donohue.

According to official reports submitted after the match, Maguire approached the fourth official and shouted: “You’re a joke. You’re all a fucking joke.” While Maguire admitted the charge of improper conduct, he disputed the exact wording, claiming he said “something along the lines of ‘it is a fucking joke’” and denied directly insulting any individual official.

The Commission ultimately sided with the fourth official’s account, citing the proximity of the interaction and the consistency of reports filed shortly after the match. It ruled, on the balance of probabilities, that Maguire had used abusive and insulting language directed at the officiating team.

Even under Maguire’s own version of events, the panel concluded the language was still inappropriate and constituted a breach of FA Rule E3.1, which requires participants to act in the best interests of the game and prohibits abusive or insulting behaviour.

In determining the sanction, the Commission considered several mitigating factors, including Maguire’s early admission of the charge, his apology, and his previously clean disciplinary record over multiple seasons. Although the case was classified as “non-standard,” meaning the panel had discretion beyond typical guidelines, it settled on a one-match suspension—reduced from an initial two-match starting point.

The ban takes immediate effect, ruling Maguire out of one domestic fixture for Manchester United.

A financial penalty was also imposed, with the Commission reducing an initial £45,000 fine to £30,000 after considering the same mitigating factors.

The FA had argued that a one-match ban was appropriate regardless of the precise wording used, stressing that Maguire’s conduct was clearly confrontational and abusive in nature.

The decision remains subject to appeal under FA regulations.