London, UK – Aleksandar Mitrovic, the Serbian striker for Fulham, has been handed an eight-game ban for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during Fulham’s match against Manchester United last month.
The incident occurred during the match at Craven Cottage, when Mitrovic was shown a yellow card for a foul on Manchester United’s Scott McTominay. After the card was issued, Mitrovic confronted Kavanagh and pushed him with both hands.
The referee immediately showed Mitrovic a red card, and the striker was sent off the pitch. The Football Association (FA) subsequently charged Mitrovic with violent conduct, which carries a mandatory suspension of three games.
However, a regulatory commission has now extended Mitrovic’s ban to eight games after reviewing the incident. The commission deemed that Mitrovic’s actions were “completely unacceptable” and “put the safety of the referee at risk.”
The ban means that Mitrovic will miss Fulham’s remaining fixtures this season. The club has released a statement expressing their disappointment at the decision and confirming that they will be appealing the ban.
Fulham manager Marco Silva was also sent off in that game.