At first it was thought that Barry had clashed with his manager Roberto Mancini as he left the pitch at full time, but the City boss confirmed his player was unhappy with the officials.
‘The referee and linesmen made some mistakes today,’ remarked Mancini after the game. ‘I don’t know what Gareth said.’
After receiving Atkinson’s report the FA issued a statement that read: ‘Manchester City’s Gareth Barry has been charged by the FA for a breach of its Rule E3 in that he used abusive and/or insulting words towards a match official following the Manchester City v Manchester United game on Sunday 9 December 2012.’