West Brom manager Slaven Bilic maintained his innocence after being charged for improper conduct by the Football Association for his actions during his side’s 5-2 defeat against Everton on Saturday.
The Croatian came on to the pitch at half-time and was shown a red card by referee Mike Dean for his protests, with the 52-year-old subsequently receiving a fine from the FA.
“I spoke to the people from the FA and to the club and I got a fine which I’m not happy about but it is obviously the easiest way to get it out of the way and from the head, so pay it,” Bilic said.
“Still I think I had done nothing wrong because I just wanted to ask the referee – I was on the pitch because I had to go to the other side and I told the referee, just to ask him a question about what happened in the first half.
“If the rules are like that then it’s not allowed, so be it, let’s forget about but I still don’t think – it’s not that I don’t think – I know that I have done nothing wrong, or my intention was not to do anything wrong, just to have a small chat, which I as a manager think that I am entitled to have.”
Bilic entered the pitch following the first-half dismissal of Kieran Gibbs for pushing Everton’s James Rodriguez in the face.
On whether he was clear on the FA’s rules, the Baggies boss said: “But the clarifications, to be fair, they are clear. It says as far as I know that you can’t enter the pitch. But the problem with the situation was I had to enter the pitch because, unless I go all the way around, I had to go on the pitch (to get to the away dressing room).
“My intention was basically to go to the dressing room but as I was walking on the pitch I saw the referee there so I wanted to talk to him.
“The rules are quite clear, the problem is our dressing room was on the other side of the stadium basically, but so be it. We have a big game in a couple of days so I am fully concentrated on that.
“Am I happy with the fine? No. Is it as a disaster pride wise or emotion wise? No, it’s not, so let’s move on.”
West Brom host Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday, and Bilic will be able to take his usual place in the dugout after the FA found no evidence of insulting or abusive language in its review into the offence.
‘Scoring in a World Cup is like winning the title – can you imagine millions of people celebrating something you did? It’s insane and made me very proud’: Brazil legend explains how much 2002 goal meant to him
'He already had the ability but didn’t use it because he was afraid to shoot – I said, "You’re a player who has to decide games – you have to take risks, mate"': Liverpool star was forced to become confident by team-mates
