Man United manager Sir Alex Ferguson decided Thursday not to appeal the five-match ban slammed by FA.

Ferguson was hit by a three-match touchline ban on Wednesday for improper words against referees after United's 2-1 defeat at Chelsea earlier this month, which invoked a previous two-match suspended ban for the same reson.

The ban is due to start on March 22, but Ferguson, who was also fined 30,000 pounds, requested for it to begin immediately so that he will be able to sit on the team bench for the potential title-decider against Arsenal in May.