London: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has been charged with improper conduct after being sent to the stands in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat by Liverpool, Uefa said on Wednesday.

Guardiola protested about forward Leroy Sane's disallowed goal at the end of the first half in the quarter-final second leg and was dismissed by referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz.

The Spanish manager was charged for communicating with the team's technical staff in the second half according to Article 69 (1) of Uefa's disciplinary regulations.

Uefa also charged Liverpool after their fans set off fireworks and threw objects inside the Etihad Stadium.

The case will be heard by Uefa's control, ethics and disciplinary body on May 31.

The City manager will receive an automatic one-match touchline ban from Uefa for being dismissed but the punishment could be extended to include a further two games in the stands if he is found to have verbally abused or insulted Lahoz.

A Spanish television channel has alleged that Guardiola shouted at Lahoz: "That was a penalty, watch it on the tele. That was a goal and a penalty. Shut your mouth. That was a goal and a penalty".

He was then forced to watch the second period from a seat in the stands next to his trusted adviser and confidante, Manel Estiarte, after being sent off by Lahoz for his outburst. Guardiola was also charged by Uefa with breaching rules that prevents managers who have been sent off from communicating with their bench amid suggestions he relayed instructions to staff during the second half.

Carles Planchart, City's performance analyst, was spotted on television at the top of the steps a short distance behind where Guardiola was sat shortly after the hour mark and the manager appeared to shout something in his colleague's direction. Soon after, in the 66th minute, Sergio Aguero came on as a substitute.

"I didn't insult the referee, I was polite, I was correct. But Mateu Lahoz is a special guy, he likes to be different, he likes to be special," he said. "I said it was a goal when the ball was passed to Leroy Sane. That's why he sent me off. It would have been different to go in 2-0," Guardiola had said at the post-match media conference.

Guardiola was in the unusual position of being on the defensive. "Over the course of 11 months you have ups and downs," Guardiola said.

"I was with my chairman. I saw the body language of my players. You won't find a team who can keep the same momentum, the same rhythm, same pace with this amount of games. It's almost impossible," he added.

"We lost against Liverpool, against United and against Liverpool. I have to analyse what we've done in 10 months and I think it's quite good."

City lead the domestic standings by 13 points with six games remaining and their season has included an 18-game unbeaten run.

"We cannot compare what we've done in the Premier League when we are here,"? said Guardiola.

"We would have liked to win the Premier League in the last game (against United) and it was our dream to get through to the (Champions League) semi-finals. But we have to reflect and think what we can do better next season." Reuters