Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been banned for eight games for grabbing the referee against Manchester United, but the Football Association intends to appeal.
The 28-year-old Serbia international was given the lengthy suspension after he was dismissed during the 2-1 FA Cup defeat last month after taking hold of referee Chris Kavanagh.
Mitrovic received a standard three-match ban, but that has been extended by three games for violent conduct towards a match official and another two matches added for using language that was “improper, abusive, insulting and threatening”.
He admitted the latter offence, which also came with a £75,000 (A$140,000) fine, but unsuccessfully disputed the charge of violent conduct. Having already missed one game, he will now be unavailable for Fulham’s next seven matches.
Manager Marco Silva, whose own dismissal alongside that of winger Willian – for handling the ball on the goal-line – led to Mitrovic’s angry reaction, was also punished by the independent regulatory commission.
Silva admitted using abusive and insulting words or behaviour towards Kavanagh and the fourth official but denied throwing a water bottle towards the assistant referee.
The charge was nevertheless upheld and he was fined a total of £40,000 (A$74,000) after questioning the integrity of the referee during his post-match press conference. He was also hit with a two-game touchline ban.
Fulham were fined a further £40,000 for failing to control their players.
However, the FA indicated it plans to appeal against both Mitrovic and Silva’s punishments.
An FA statement read: “Our current intention is to appeal both sanctions, however we will await the written reasons before confirming our final position.”
Mitrovic is Fulham’s top scorer with 12 goals but he will not been seen again until the final three games of the season.
Mitrovic issued an apology after the match, saying: “I allowed my frustration to get the better of me and how I reacted was wrong.
“I was trying to get the referee’s attention, but I appreciate that I should not have put my hands on him and I understand why he showed me a red card.”
© AAP
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