ALEKSANDAR Mitrovic faces being ruled out until the last day of the season – as the FA threw the disciplinary book at Fulham.
Wembley beaks announced charges against Mitrovic, manager Marco Silva and the Craven Cottage club in a get-tough clampdown.
And it is set to lead to a massive suspension for Mitrovic, an extended touchline ban for Silva and a huge fine for Fulham.
Serbian striker Mitrovic lost his head after Chris Kavanagh correctly took VAR advice to award Manchester United a penalty and dismiss Willian for handball in the FA Cup quarter-final clash on Sunday.
Sun Sport understands that in addition to explaining the red card, Kavanagh’s official report to the FA included a full account of the verbal confrontation that followed Mitrovic’s dismissal when he shouted into the referee’s face.
That started the disciplinary process that has left Mitrovic facing a potential 10-match ban.
READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
Earlier yesterday, SunSport revealed that the FA had already contacted Fulham to tell the club it was not prepared to allow a standard three-game violent conduct ban.
That was officially confirmed as an FA spokesperson said: “The FA has claimed that the standard punishment which would otherwise apply to Aleksandar Mitrović for the sending off offence of violent conduct that he committed towards the match referee is clearly insufficient.
“In addition, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s behaviour and/or language was allegedly improper and/or abusive and/or insulting and/or threatening following his dismissal.”
Regarding Silva, the FA spokesperson added: “It’s alleged that Marco Silva used abusive and/or insulting words and/or gestures and/or behaviour towards the match referee.
Most read in Football
“That he used abusive and/or insulting words towards the fourth official prior to his dismissal. “And that he also used abusive and/or insulting words and/or gestures and/or behaviour towards the fourth official after being sent off.
“It’s further alleged that in throwing a water bottle in the direction of the assistant referee his behaviour was improper.”
Silva has already served one touchline ban, missing the FA Cup win over Sunderland after picking up a fourth managerial yellow card of the season in the goalless draw with Chelsea.
It means a minimum two-match ban but the fact that he has been hit with FOUR separate charges will almost certainly lead to a significantly greater punishment.
And Fulham as a club, charged with “failing to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion” can expect a significant fine.
Charging Mitrovic, Silva and Fulham could speed up the timetable as a touchline ban for the manager will have to be imposed for the club’s next game, although the Mitrovic case could be decided by a separate commission after the international break.
In any event, Mitrovic is automatically banned until Fulham’s home game with Leeds on April 22, allowing plenty of time for a commission to hear the case before the suspension is completed.
But Kavanagh’s report, combined with the FA’s public stance against misbehaviour towards referees at grass roots level and the feeling that what happens in the Premier League is often replicated on park pitches, suggests a double-figure match ban is more than possible.
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST SPORTS BETTING APPS IN THE UK
The most famous Prem example of footballers behaving badly came at Hillsborough in 1998.
Firebrand Paolo Di Canio, wound up by an altercation with Martin Keown and sent off for his reaction, lost it after being shown a red card by Paul Alcock.
In an astonishing scene still recalled 25 years later, the Italian pushed the referee backwards, with Alcock, floundering desperately to keep his feet, eventually tumbling over.
It was an almost comedic moment yet there was no laughter at the FA, who rightly handed Di Canio an 11-match ban.
A still hurt Alcock described him as “the Italian” shortly before his death aged 64 in 2018.
That benchmark will be in the heads of many when the Mitrovic punishment is being discussed, even if Sunday’s incident was not in that same category.
Di Canio was not the first to lose it and shove an official, even if he remains the most memorable.
Seven seasons earlier, Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair saw his loan spell at West Brom cut short when he received a ten-match suspension for a clash with Alcock.
Sinclair ran into the referee after he awarded a penalty against the Baggies and accidentally clashed heads.
He immediately showed contrition but it could not prevent the lengthy suspension.
And if the FA believed the punishment for Di Canio would prevent a recurrence they were proved wrong seven years later.
This time it was Southampton midfielder David Prutton, now a Sky Sports presenter, who completely lost control after being given a second yellow card in a game against Arsenal.
Prutton remonstrated with the assistant referee and then manhandled ref Alan Wiley as the official attempted to intervene, adding a verbal volley to his crime sheet as he was escorted from the pitch by Saints boss Harry Redknapp.
Despite apologies, Prutton was banned for ten games the next day, although he was only fined £6,000.
Despite plenty of situations in which players have surrounded referees since, there have been no really similar incidents in the Prem.
Read More on The Sun
Many thought Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes should have been punished this month when he turned and pushed assistant referee Adam Nunn during the 7-0 mauling at Anfield.
Yet on that occasion, both the referees’ organisation, PGMOL, and the FA agreed the incident had been caused by the actions of the assistant, and the Portugal star had reacted to his perceived assailant, rather than deliberately showing disrespect and assaulting the official.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
