Updated

Liverpool, England (SportsNetwork.com) - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers was formally charged by the English Football Association on Friday for criticizing the officials following the Reds' 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Boxing Day.

"It is alleged the comments by Rodgers called into question the integrity of the match referee, and/or implied that the match referee was motivated by bias; and/or brought the game into disrepute; and/or amounted to a failure to act in the best interests of the game," a statement read of the FA website.

Rodgers had called the officials' performance "horrendous" and insisted that referee Lee Mason, from Bolton, lives too near City to be given such a match.

"I was very proud of the players, I thought they were absolutely outstanding. They had no help from the officials," Rodgers said. "I thought today they were horrendous in terms of performance. We had nothing that went our way at all.

The Merseyside manager has until 6 p.m. on Wednesday to appeal the decision or he could face a touchline ban and large fine.