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Graham Bean, who acts on behalf of Sir Alex Ferguson in disciplinary matters, has accused the Football Association of acting "like a communist state".

"What everyone has missed because they have focused on this big ban on Sir Alex, is that Martin Atkinson made one of the biggest blunders of the season in not dealing with David Luiz and he has got off with it, nothing has happened to him," Bean told ESPNsoccernet.

"That cannot be right that the ref is protected in that way, and then the FA hammer Sir Alex. I have seen confidential reports where Atkinson is criticised by the assessors at the game in the way he dealt with David Luiz and that he didn't deal with the incident the way he should have done.

"The FA has become like a communist state in the way that you cannot speak out against authority. It is becoming clear that if you are in football you give up your right to freedom of expression."

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