Author: Soorya G
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic and coach Marco Silva received some relief from the Football Association, which decided against an appeal seeking heavier punishments for the pair. This was in relation to the fiasco that occurred during Fulham’s FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United, when Mitrovic pushed referee Chris Kavanagh, which earned him a straight red card. This happened after coach Marco Silva lost his cool after the VAR intervened to award a penalty to the hosts, who were trailing 0-1 at the time. Silva was seen shouting at the veteran referee, and also threw a bottle of water in the referee’s direction.
Mitrovic, who had already scored for Fulham in the first minutes of the second half, made matters worse after Brazilian Willian was shown a red card in connection with the same incident. An irate Mitrovic argued with Kavanagh and eventually pushed him away and was sent off in the process.
Fulham would concede three goals in the remaining 20 minutes to lose a deserved lead and were eliminated from the FA Cup. To make matters worse, Mitrovic was suspended for eight games for his actions, while Silva was suspended for two games. Mitrovic’s suspension was split into three matches for the straight red, three for violent behavior and two more for “inappropriate, offensive, abusive and threatening” language.
Silva’s suspension is over, while Mitrovic will only return on May 13, in time for Fulham’s last three Premier League games of the season. The Cottagers threw away a golden opportunity to finish in the top six, but still remain in the race with a remote chance.
An appeal was lodged to increase the punishments for the Fulham duo, but the Association decided to dismiss the appeal, the initial sanctions being considered satisfactory. The pair have since apologized publicly for the incident. Mitrovic admitted that he allowed his frustration to overcome reason, while Silva expressed his regret for his actions.