Graham Potter says Brighton are helping Neal Maupay curb his fiery temper after details of the striker’s expletive-laden rant at referee Jon Moss were revealed.
Albion’s top scorer Maupay branded match official Moss ‘a f****** joke’ during a sustained verbal attack, having been shown a red card for dissent at the end of the 2-1 defeat to Wolves on May 9.
The 24-year-old was subsequently hit with a three-game ban and fined £25,000 by the Football Association, ruling him out of the remainder of the season, including Sunday’s Premier League finale at Arsenal.
Specific details of the Frenchman’s abusive behaviour were made public on Thursday afternoon in a report released by the FA’s regulatory commission.
Asked on Friday if his club were taking steps to avoid a repeat, Seagulls boss Potter replied: “We are and it’s an ongoing process. Unfortunately it doesn’t happen overnight is the truth.
“You’ve got to make changes, you’ve to do some work, understand that there is a possibility that that can happen. Then it’s about how you manage everything.
“It’s competition, it’s emotions, sometimes the blood is rushing and you’ve got adrenaline and things happen. That’s a part of football but it’s about managing it and keeping it under control.
“In fairness to Neal, he’s done that quite well over a period of time but it wasn’t good and not acceptable and we have to accept the punishment and own up to it and try to improve.”
Maupay initially received a two-game ban for the red card but this week received an extra match following an FA charge of using foul and abusive language.
The former Brentford player had to be dragged away from the match officials by a combination of team-mates and coaching staff, with referee Moss reporting repeated profanities.
Potter, who himself became involved in a touchline spat with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Tuesday evening, acknowledges that mistakes are a part of life.
“You sometimes forget, they are human beings, they are young guys,” he said.
“I don’t know what you were like when you were 24; when I was 24 I was a lesser version of what I am now. You have to make mistakes, you will make mistakes, it’s just then how you respond to that, that’s the key.
“If you can respond and say, ‘yeah, that wasn’t good’, own up and then try to do something about, then it’s an ongoing process. That’s what we have to try to do to help Neal.”
