Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association in relation to comments he made after Saturday's 3-1 Premier League defeat to Southampton.
Mourinho accused referees of being "afraid to give decisions to Chelsea" in an extraordinary post-match rant as the pressure on his shoulders increased amid an abysmal start to the club's title defence.
The Portuguese's frustration primarily related to referee Robert Madley’s decision to book Radamel Falcao for simulation when he went to ground under a challenge from Southampton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg in the penalty area.
Southampton had a 2-1 lead at that stage and Mourinho was apparently aware that his comments would land him in hot water with the authorities.
"If the FA wants to punish me they can punish me," he said. "They don't punish other managers, but that would not be a problem for me."
A statement released on the FA's website on Monday read: "Jose Mourinho has been charged for misconduct in relation to media comments he made following Chelsea's game against Southampton on Saturday 3 October 2015.
"It is alleged his remarks constitute improper conduct in that they allege and/or imply bias on the part of a match official or match officials and/or bring the game into disrepute.
"He has until 6pm on Thursday 8 October 2015 to respond to the charge."
The news continues the eventful fallout from the Southampton loss, with Chelsea having released a statement underlining their backing of a manager who has won four and lost six of 12 matches this season in all competitions.
Last week, the FA announced that Mourinho would face no action over complaints that he allegedly used discriminatory language towards former club doctor Eva Carneiro and he has a chequered history of disciplinary issues with English football's governing body.
In January, he boycotted press conferences before and after a match with Manchester City in protest to the FA punishing Diego Costa with a retrospective ban for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can during a League Cup semi-final – a suspension he blamed on what he deemed to be unfavourable coverage of the incident from Sky Sports.
He made a terse return to press duties the following week, claiming he was only attending a briefing before Chelsea played Aston Villa due to Premier League regulations.
Costa landed another retrospective suspension for violent conduct after last month's win over Arsenal – another issue that irked Mourinho during his Southampton post-match interview.
"I say it again, the referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea," he said. "Why? Because when they do there is a question mark, always criticism.
"We are always punished. Diego Costa is suspended… in other matches we see it and nothing happens."
Chelsea sit 16th in the Premier League, having lost more top-flight games already this term than in the whole of last season.