Chelsea ‘appalled’ after Nemanja Matic has three-game ban cut to two
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Version 0 of 1. Chelsea have been left “appalled” after an independent regulatory commission opted to reduce Nemanja Matic’s three-match suspension by only one game. The club are so incensed by the issues raised by Ashley Barnes’s tackle on the Serb on Saturday that they are considering sounding out top-flight rivals over the appetite to instigate a rule change to the Football Association’s disciplinary process. Matic was dismissed for pushing Barnes to the turf during the draw at Stamford Bridge after reacting to a challenge from the Burnley forward which went unpunished by the referee, Martin Atkinson. Chelsea were dismayed to discover Barnes would face no retrospective action from the FA, with the official having confirmed to the match delegate he had witnessed the incident first-hand, effectively meaning the London club could lodge an appeal against the red card only on the grounds of “clearly excessive punishment” rather than wrongful dismissal. The Premier League leaders had been confident the three-game ban would be reduced to one when a regulatory commission heard their evidence on Tuesday, with Chelsea citing similar incidents involving Jan Vertonghen, Jack Wilshere and Joe Hart where no disciplinary action had been instigated, and one with Wayne Routledge where a ban was rescinded. Yet the commission opted to reduce the suspension by only one game, ruling Matic out of Sunday’s Capital One Cup final and next Wednesday’s Premier League game at West Ham and leaving Chelsea’s hierarchy infuriated the authorities had offered the bare minimum gesture over an incident which, they argue, might have left the midfielder with a broken leg. The disciplinary guidelines were agreed upon by all major stakeholders in the game, including the clubs, and are reviewed annually. Chelsea believe there needs to be greater consistency in decision-making from football’s authorities, and better protection offered to players, and are expected to gauge whether fellow elite clubs share their frustration. In a statement on their website headed “Chelsea appalled with the FA’s decision on Matic”, the club confirmed they were “extremely disappointed and frustrated” that the regulatory commission had “decided not to reduce Nemanja Matic’s suspension to the maximum extent permitted under FA rules”. “There has been universal condemnation of the reckless challenge made by Ashley Barnes on Matic and it is the club’s view that he has been unjustly punished with a two-match ban for his reaction to a career-threatening tackle,” it read. “It is Chelsea’s opinion that referees and the football authorities must do more to protect players at all levels of the game from dangerous challenges. This decision also clearly demonstrates a need for consistency and fairness in the disciplinary process.” The club believe the current system, with its perceived limitations over “seen” and “unseen” incidents, is not fit for purpose and leaves far too much potential for inconsistencies. They should receive the commission’s written reasoning for their decision by the end of the week. José Mourinho, who has been scathing in his criticisms of Barnes and was baffled by Atkinson’s decision, received a delegation from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited at Cobham on Tuesday morning, which included Mike Riley and Howard Webb, to discuss the fallout from Saturday’s incidents and attempt to build bridges. Relations in the meeting are understood to have been strained, with the club’s mood hardly improved later in the day when the commission confirmed its decision. It considered Matic’s reaction in isolation. “In reaching this decision the members of the regulatory commission rejected the mitigation advanced by Nemanja Matic in respect of the provocation and tackle he received which led to his act of violent conduct,” said the commission’s chairman, Roger Burden. “The violent response of Mr Matic to the nature of the tackle cannot be condoned and does not vindicate his subsequent actions. “The members of the commission did, however, accept the mitigation in respect of the level of force used by Mr Matic and the nature of the contact he made with Mr Barnes of Burnley FC. Having made those considerations we determined that the standard punishment of a three-match suspension would be clearly excessive and, therefore, ordered that the suspension be reduced to two matches.” |