Fulham forward Aleksandar Mitrovic is set for a spell on the sidelines after he was sent off during their 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup. On Sunday, the 28-year-old was shown a straight red card after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh at Old Trafford. The incident occurred as the referee was about to punish Willian for rejecting a goal-scoring opportunity with his hand following a VAR review. Mitrovic accosted Kavanagh as he prepared to dismiss the Brazilian, resulting in his firing as well. Man United was granted a penalty after Willian handled Jadon Sancho’s strike, and Erik ten Hag’s men went on to win the match 3-1 after trailing 20 minutes from time.
When Kavanagh was inspecting the monitor, manager Marco Silva was also sent out, and all three now face suspensions for Fulham’s next games. Mitrovic was charged with aggressive and inappropriate behavior, but the Football Association has since ruled that the normal punishment is “obviously insufficient.” Mitrovic might face more than the standard three-game penalty for violent behavior, as the FA has the authority to prolong suspensions based on certain factors. The most well-known case is Paolo Di Canio’s 11-game suspension for pushing referee Paul Alcock while playing for Sheffield Wednesday in 1998, while former Southampton midfielder David Prutton earned a 10-game suspension in 2005 for shoving match official Alan Wiley during a game against Arsenal.
“The customary punishment that would ordinarily apply to Aleksandar Mitrovic for the sending-off offense of violent conduct against the match referee is manifestly insufficient,” a statement from the FA read about the Fulham forward. “Furthermore, following his departure, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s behavior and/or language were allegedly inappropriate, abusive, disrespectful, and/or threatening.”
Manager Silva might potentially face a lengthy suspension after being charged with improper conduct for reportedly throwing a water bottle at Kavanagh’s assistant referee, however, the FA has yet to issue a comment regarding the Fulham manager. Some speculate that Mitrovic might lose up to ten games as punishment for his antics at Old Trafford, thereby ruling him out of the rest of the 2022/23 season, save for Fulham’s last Premier League encounter against Manchester United, again at Old Trafford.
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