SYDNEY (AFP) - Sydney FC coach Branko Culina was fined Tuesday for disparaging comments made to a referee who was pelted with plastic bottles as he left the pitch following an ill-tempered loss to arch-rivals Melbourne.

Football Federation Australia (FFA) said Culina had breached the A-League's code of conduct and been fined an undisclosed sum for his behaviour following Saturday's 1-0 home loss.

Referee Mark Shield was flanked by police as he headed to the dressing rooms after the match, with a number of Sydney fans throwing plastic water bottles at him.

Culina, incensed over a red card to playmaker Steve Corica, reportedly told Shield: "If the police need to escort you, it's not a good sign."

FFA has launched a separate inquiry into the Sydney fans' behaviour.