Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic received a record-setting eight-game suspension for shoving referee Chris Kavanagh during the team’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United last month.After Chris Kavanagh ruled that Willian committed a handball, he gave the penalty kick to Erik ten Hag‘s team.
Moments later, thefrustrated striker shoved Kavanagh and was promptly sent off with a red card. The sentence from the usual three games has been increased to eight games, but the FA reportedly plans to appeal the penalty because they want harsher punishment.
The Serbian’ssuspension began with Fulham’s 2-1 loss at Bournemouth, and he won’t be eligible to play again for the club until their match against Southampton on May 13. They still have two games left until the end of their season.
What is the longest suspensionin English footballhistory?
This undoubtedlysoundslikeone of the heaviest suspensions in Premier League history.But when stacked up against previous suspensions in English soccer, it seems one seems quite minor. Take a look at some of thelongest bans in English football history:
10. 11 games -Paolo Di Canio(1998)
In 1998, Italy icon Paolo Di Canio was suspended for 11 games after an incident identical to Mitrovic’s. The striker slammed referee Paul Alcock on the ground during a match between his Sheffield Wednesday team and Arsenal. Di Canio was given an additional eight-game suspension on top of his red card penalty after he apologized to the referee in a hearing.
9. 4 months -Luis Suarez(2014)
Suarez bit Giorgio Chiellini of Italy during their World Cup match against Uruguay in 2014. This was the third time Suarez has been accused of biting someone during his professional career.He was still under contract with Liverpool despite being suspended for four months from any football-related activity. The transfer to Barcelona went through despite his absence during the season’s opening months owing to the suspension.
8.6 months -Vinnie Jones(1992)
Although Vinnie Jones has a reputation as one of the hardest players in English football, the event that led to his suspension in 1992 was off the field.The FA felt that Jones’ presentation of a film titled Soccer’s Hardest Men’glorified violence’.The midfielder was suspended for six months as a consequence.
7.6 months – Kolo Toure (2011)
During his time at Manchester City, Kolo Toure was a defender, and in 2011 he received a six-month suspension. The Ivorian husband admits to taking something from the water pills his wife had gotten for him. His legal team attempted to have him given a three-month suspension, allowing him to return for the start of the next season.
6. 7 months -Adrian Mutu(2004)
In 2004, Romanian striker Adrian Mutu was banned for seven months, thereby ending his brief Chelsea career. After just 26 games in the league for Chelsea, Mutu tested positive for cocaine, essentially terminating his career. He admitted his guilt but refused to provide a B sample for testing.A protracted legal battle ensued as Chelsea sought redress for his injuries.
5. 8 months -Rio Ferdinand(2003)
Rio Ferdinand was banned from all sports for eight months in 2003, shortly after he had signed with Manchester United and became England’s most expensive player.An impartial panel judged the defender guilty of wrongdoing after he failed a drug test in 2003.
4. 9 months -Eric Cantona(1995)
Eric Cantonahad many unforgettable experiences in England but this one stands out. The Frenchmanreceived a red card and vile chants from an opponents supporter in a 1995 match against Crystal Palace. After being verbally abused by a fan, Cantona went into the crowd and gave the man a ‘kung-fu’ kick. Because of this, he was banned from playing in England for nine months.
3.9 months – Mark Bosnich (2002)
Mark Bosnich, another Chelsea player, tested positive for cocaine. Adrian Mutu did the same thing.He said he didn’t intentionally take the drug, but he did say it was possible it got into his system. Bosnich was banned from playing for nine months after failing a drug test.
2.13 months – Joey Barton (2016)
The English footballer Joey Barton was mired in several controversies during his playing career. Between 2006 and 2016, it was found that Barton, a professional player, habitually gambled on soccer matches. Over the course of a decade, he placed 1,260 wagers, many on games he himself had participated in. He was banned from playing professionally for 18 months and fined £30,000 after being found guilty of criminal charges.
1.30 years -Enoch West(1915)
English forward Enoch West was very productive until he was banned from the sport. In 1915, eight players, including West, were implicated in a massive betting scandal. All eight players received a lifelong ban, although their sentences would be overturned if they enrolled in the armed forces to serve in World War One. Although he was 59 years old when the ban was removed in 1945, thirty years after it had been placed.
