NYON/LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been charged with improper conduct by UEFA after confronting referee Damir Skomina after Arsenal’s aggregate defeat by Milan in north London.

Wenger challenged the Slovenian official on the pitch after the final whistle and criticised him in his post-match comments. A UEFA spokesman said: “A disciplinary case has been opened for improper conduct.”

UEFA sanctioned Wenger with a one-match touchline ban for a similar confrontation with Massimo Busacca who sent off Robin Van Persie in last year’s second-round exit to Barcelona; he was then handed a further two-match suspension in August for violating his Barcelona ban by communicating with the Arsenal bench from the stands during the qualifying play-off tie against Udinese earlier this season.

On Tuesday Wenger claimed Skomina awarded too many free-kicks to the Italians, who progressed to the quarter-final stage with a 4-3 aggregate win despite a 3-0 defeat.

After the match, Wenger said: “I was not happy with the referee tonight because I felt he gave many free-kicks in the middle of the park. Every time they went down a free-kick was given for them, and they sensed that very quickly and they used it very well.”