London - Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will not appeal against a five-match touchline ban for comments he made about referee Martin Atkinson after his side's defeat at Chelsea, the Football Association (FA) said on Thursday.
Ferguson was banned and fined 30 000 pounds ($48 220) by the FA on Wednesday for his post-match comments which included him saying he "feared the worst" when he found out who was refereeing the March 1 match at Stamford Bridge.
The ban starts with immediate effect and will include the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley. It does not apply to Champions League matches.