The FA has fined Tottenham Hotspurs manager, Mauricio Pochettino, £10,000 for angrily confronting referee Mike Dean after his side lost 2-1 to Burnley on February 23.

The Spurs manager was also handed a two-match touchline ban.

Pochettino admitted he “crossed the line” with the official and later made a public apology to Dean.

The 46-year-old Spurs boss accepted the FA charge of improper conduct and said: “It is not the way to behave”.

The FA statement read:

“Mauricio Pochettino has been fined £10,000 and will serve a two-match touchline ban following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.

“The Tottenham Hotspur manager accepted an improper conduct charge from The FA, which resulted from his language and/or behaviour – both on the pitch and in or around the tunnel area – at the end of the game against Burnley on 23 February.”

Pochettino will serve his ban in the Premier League games against former club Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium on March 9 and at Liverpool on March 31.

The Argentine did not reveal what he said to Dean at Turf Moor, or the reason for his strong reaction, although he had complained about a corner awarded in the build-up to Burnley’s opening goal.

Pochettino had said he was not anticipating a ban.

“A ban, why? I don’t believe that it’s going to happen. I don’t think that’s going to be fair,” he said.

“For what? It was a conversation, no? Maybe it was close but it was a conversation.

“I don’t believe it’s fair. But I’m going to accept if they ban me and I can’t be in the dugout against Southampton.”