Aleksandar Mitrovic faces a lengthy layoff following his red card in Fulham’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United — but just how long could his suspension last?
The 28-year-old was handed a straight red card at Old Trafford after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh. The incident came after the referee was in the process of dismissing Willian for denying a goalscoring opportunity with his hand following a VAR check.
As Kavanagh went to send the Brazilian off, Mitrovic accosted him, leading to his dismissal as well. Willian’s handling of Jadon Sancho’s shot meant that Man Utd were also awarded a penalty, and Erik ten Hag’s men would ultimately go on to win the match 3-1 having trailed 20 minutes from time.
Manager Marco Silva was also sent off while Kavanagh inspected the monitor, and all three now face bans for Fulham’s upcoming games. Mitrovic was charged with violent and improper conduct, but the Football Association have since come out and stated that their standard punishment is “clearly insufficient”.
At present, Mitrovic is in the midst of a three-game ban for violent conduct, but the FA are able to extend suspensions depending on certain variables. According to reports, Mitrovic’s time on the sidelines could be extended to a whopping 10 games, although it’s believed this would leave the FA under pressure to explain why previous incidents involving the likes of Joe Hart, David de Gea went unpunished.
That said, Mitrovic wouldn’t be the first to feel the full blunt force of the law. The most famous case remains Paolo Di Canio’s 11-game ban for pushing referee Paul Alcock in 1998 while playing for Sheffield Wednesday. The Italian was initially sent off for a skirmish with Martin Keown before his infamous shove on Alcock. As a result, he was handed an eight-game suspension for the push alone, which was added to his three games for the original red card.
Another infamous incident involved former Southampton midfielder David Prutton, who received a 10-match suspension in 2005 for shoving match official Alan Wiley in a game against Arsenal.
“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 is clearly insufficient,” a statement from the FA read.
“In addition, Aleksandar Mitrovic’s behaviour and/or language was allegedly improper and/or abusive and/or insulting and/or threatening following his dismissal.”
Manager Silva could also be hit with an extended punishment after he was charged with improper conduct for allegedly throwing a water bottle in the direction of Kavanagh’s assistant referee, though the Portuguese tactician has appealed his ban and, so, took charge of his team’s defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Should Mitrovic indeed serve a 10-game ban, that would see him miss the rest of the 2022/23 season, save for Fulham’s final Premier League match against Man Utd, at Old Trafford no less.
Former striker-turned-pundit Chris Sutton was among those advocating for Mitrovic to receive a double-digit dressing down, remarking in his column for the Daily Mail: “I believe Mitrovic deserves a 10-game ban, at least. A strong reaction is required from the FA.
“If Mitrovic gets away with a standard three-game suspension, that will tell us football doesn’t give a damn about the influence it can have down in grassroots.”
The president of the Referees’ Association Paul Field even suggested that Mitrovic should be handed more than a 10-game ban when discussing the incident on BBC Radio 5. “I hope it’s more than 10 games,” Field commented. “That only really goes through to the end of the season.
“Think about what Eric Cantona did nearly 30 years ago and he got nine months. I think they should put a really decent time on this.”
For his part, Mitrovic has since spoken of his regret over the incident, though that’s unlikely to save himself from further punishment.
“On a personal level, I regret my actions that led to me being sent off. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong,” said Mitrovic in a statement posted on the club’s website. “I have accepted the three-match ban for my red card, I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise, and I have volunteered to accept a club fine.
“I now want to do what I can to put this incident behind me and get back to helping my teammates on the pitch as soon as possible.”
Silva added: “I regret what happened and I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise. He knows that I respect him and the job he has to do. Unfortunately, we did not see eye-to-eye on the day, but I recognise that he is one of the top referees in this country and I know that, when our paths cross again, there will be mutual respect between us.”