Alisson Becker Fined £8,000 for Misconduct After Nottingham Forest Draw
Alisson Becker has been fined £8,000 by the FA after accepting a misconduct charge for his behaviour following Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest last month.
The Liverpool goalkeeper lost his composure in the aftermath of a chaotic finish at the City Ground, where he was penalised for a late challenge on former team-mate Neco Williams. Morgan Gibbs-White buried the resulting penalty to put Forest in front, sparking fury from Alisson and frustration on the Liverpool bench.
Tension had already been simmering. The fourth official’s electronic board malfunctioned during a key spell, delaying Liverpool from making three substitutions in the build-up to the incident that led to Forest’s spot-kick. When the final whistle went, Alisson’s anger spilled over. He was seen kicking the fourth official’s board as he headed towards the tunnel.
The FA has now acted. In a statement, it confirmed: “Liverpool’s Alisson Becker has been fined £8,000 for misconduct at the Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on 29 August.
“It was alleged that the goalkeeper acted in an improper manner around the tunnel area after the final whistle.
“Alisson Becker has subsequently accepted the charge against him and received the standard penalty.”
The flashpoint came on a night when Andoni Iraola’s side thought they had snatched victory, only for Liverpool to rescue a point through a late equaliser from Victor Munoz. The draw did little to cool tempers, particularly once Alisson learned how the penalty decision would later be viewed.
To compound the goalkeeper’s frustration, the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has since ruled that the penalty should not have been awarded by referee Sam Barrott.
Of the five-man panel, three members felt Alisson’s challenge on Williams did not merit a foul. Their verdict was blunt: the contact was inevitable, not reckless, and below the threshold for a penalty.
“The contact from Alisson was inevitable as a consequence of his momentum in attempting to save the ball,” the KMI Panel said. “The contact made was not reckless and below the threshold for a penalty.
“However, the non-intervention by the VAR was unanimously supported on the basis that it was not a clear and obvious error.”
That nuance will do little to soothe Liverpool or their goalkeeper. The decision stands, the fine is paid, and the record shows a spot-kick that, in the eyes of the league’s own panel, should never have been given.
