Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew is a "good man" following his headbutt on Hull City midfielder David Meyler.
The 52-year-old has accepted a charge of misconduct by the Football Association.
The incident occurred following a touchline exchange with Meyler during the Magpies' 4-1 victory over Hull at the KC Stadium last Saturday.
"I spoke with Alan a couple of hours after the incident," The Mirror quotes Mourinho as saying. "He knows he made a mistake and knows he has to pay for the mistake with some punishment.
"The manager should have the freedom to come out and speak with the players, to walk in the technical areas. The problem is human nature, and human nature is open to mistakes.
"He made a mistake. He pays for the mistake, but he's a good man, a good friend, and I prefer to stay with this."
Pardew could be handed a 10-game stadium ban, which would keep him away from all of Newcastle's remaining matches of the season.
