Mitrovic handed eight-game ban for pushing referee

Mitrovic handed eight-game ban for pushing referee

Sports

Mitrovic handed eight-game ban for pushing referee

London (AFP) – Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been handed an eight-game ban after he barged a referee during his side's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United last month.

The Serbian international was shown a straight red card for pushing Chris Kavanagh after the official awarded a penalty and dismissed Fulham's Willian for deliberate handball on the line.

Fulham manager Marco Silva was also shown a red card at the time and will serve a two-game ban.

Silva's men were leading 1-0 at the time of the red cards, but went on to lose 3-1 at Old Trafford.

On top of an automatic three-match ban, Mitrovic was handed another three games for violent conduct towards a match official and further two for using language that was "improper, abusive, insulting and threatening".

The 28-year-old accepted the latter charge, which also came with a £75,000 ($93,000) fine.

Mitrovic said last week that he regretted his actions and had spoken to Kavanagh to apologise.

He served the first match of his ban in Fulham's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth and will remain unavailable until the Cottagers face Southampton on May 13.