Fulham will be without talisman Aleksandar Mitrovic until May after he was handed an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh, while manager Marco Silva has also been handed a two-game ban.
However, the ban for both may be increased as the English Football Association are pushing for harsher punishments.
Both Silva and star striker Mitrovic were sent off of Fulham’s 3-1 loss to Manchester United in an FA Cup quarterfinal at Old Trafford on Sunday, March 19.
The pair reacted violently when Willian was sent off when VAR reviewed what was revealed to be a clear handball and Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity by the Brazilian when the match was 1-0 in the Cottagers’ favor.
[ MORE: JPW chats with Gabriel Jesus ]
Mitrovic barged into referee Chris Kavanagh after the referee was sent to the screen to review footage, while Silva berated officials and was said to have thrown a water bottle in the direction of Kavanagh.
The statement below from the independent Regulatory Commission states that Mitrovic will be banned for eight games, while Silva will be banned from the sidelines for two games.
FA statement on Aleksandar Mitrovic, Marco Silva
“Fulham FC, Marco Silva and Aleksandar Mitrovic have been sanctioned by an independent Regulatory Commission following a hearing in relation to their tie against Manchester United in The FA Cup on Sunday 19 March.
“Marco Silva admitted that he used abusive and insulting words, gestures and behaviour towards the match referee around the 72nd minute; that he used abusive and insulting words towards the fourth official before being sent off; and that he used abusive and insulting words, gestures and behaviour towards the fourth official after being dismissed. However, he denied that he threw a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee and that his behaviour in doing so was improper. The Regulatory Commission upheld the outstanding charge against him, and imposed a two-match touchline ban and a £20,000 fine. The manager also admitted that comments he made in the post-match press conference constitute improper conduct in that they imply bias, question the integrity of the match official, and bring the game into disrepute. As a result, the Regulatory Commission imposed an additional £20,000 fine.
“We claimed the standard punishment which would otherwise apply to Aleksandar Mitrovic for the sending-off offence of violent conduct that he committed towards the match referee around the 72nd minute was clearly insufficient. The forward denied this, but it was upheld by the Regulatory Commission, and a three-match ban was imposed. This is in addition to the three-match ban he had already received for the red card offence.
“The forward separately admitted that his behaviour and language after being sent off was improper, abusive, insulting and threatening, and the Regulatory Commission imposed an additional two-match ban and £75,000 fine. In total, the Regulatory Commission has suspended Aleksandar Mitrovic for eight matches. One of these has already been served, and therefore the forward will be unavailable for Fulham FC’s next seven matches.
“Finally, the club admitted that it failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion around the 72nd minute, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a £40,000 fine. We await the Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these decisions, which will be published in due course.”
What next?
The English Football Association released the following statement on the bans handed out by the independent Regulatory Commission, as they will appeal the sanctions and want lengthier bans for both.
As things stand, Mitrovic will next be available to play for Fulham away at Southampton on May 13, while Silva will at least miss their games against West Ham and Everton over the next two weekends.
— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) April 4, 2023