Mitrovic, eight match ban for the Fulham striker

From our correspondent Davide Chinellato

April 4th
– LONDON

Sting. The Football Association has used a heavy hand against Fulham and Aleksandar Mitrovic, who was suspended for 8 days, one of which already served for the expulsion and his subsequent reaction during the FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United on 19 March. As per regulation in England, the Serbian striker will have to serve the stoppage rounds in Premier League matches, the last national competition in which his team is involved.

The penalty

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The 8 days off for Mitrovic are a combination of three different sanctions. The first foresees three days for the direct red that the referee showed him in the 72nd minute due to repeated protests. It’s the standard penalty for a sending off, but it’s a disqualification that the FA deemed insufficient and appealed against, given that the attacker grabbed the referee’s arm and threatened him several times with his finger. Mitrovic was heard by the commission which decided on the sanction and denied the violent attitude, but was punished with three more matchdays off. The two more, which bring the total to 8, were imposed for Mitrovic’s attitude after the red light, which the attacker himself admitted was “improper, aggressive and threatening”. In addition to the two extra days off, Mitrovic was also fined around 85 thousand euros. The 28-year-old center forward is Fulham’s best scorer of the season, a surprising newly promoted team who has climbed up to 10th place in the standings: he will only be able to return for the last three days of the championship, after a break of practically two months.

Disqualification

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Mitrovic isn’t the only one against whom the FA has cracked down. Fulham also lost their coach, Marco Silva, for two games, also sent off for protesting after Mitrovic’s red light. Silva was punished with two rounds of disqualification and a fine of around 50,000 euros for “gestures, words and offensive behaviour” towards the referee and for “insults” towards the fourth official. Silva denied throwing a bottle at the linesman on leaving the field, but he still failed to avoid disqualification. Fulham were fined around €50,000 for the behavior of their manager and striker.