Marouane Fellaini and Robert Huth have been suspended for 3 games after their tussle in the Premier League game between Manchester United and Leicester City. The FA had charged the pair for an altercation earlier, and has now pronounced a three-match suspension with immediate effect, thus effectively ending the Premier League seasons of the combative pair.
The incident in question occurred when Manchester United clashed with Leicester City on the 1st of May. With the game tied at 1-1, the duo clashed from a set-piece delivery in the 21st minute, with Robert Huth grabbing a handful of Fellaini’s hair and the Belgian responding by elbowing Huth in the face.
However, the pair escaped censure in the game, as the match officials missed the incident. However, this allowed video footage of the altercation to be reviewed by a panel of three former elite referees, who enforced the 3 match suspension as punishment.
Season ending punishments
As a result, Fellaini will miss the remainder of Manchester United’s Premier League season, serving his suspension in the games against Norwich City, West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth. However, the Belgian will be eligible for selection against Manchester United’s most pivotal game of the season – the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace at Wembley on 21st May.
Recently crowned Premier League champions, Leicester City will be without Robert Huth for the final two games of the season against Everton and Chelsea, but will be eligible for the Community Shield next season, serving the remainder of his suspension in the first Premier League game of the 2016/17 season.
Manchester United manager had defended Fellaini's actions, decrying Huth’s hair-pull as ‘sex masochism’, saying “It's not in the books that someone has to grab by the hair and then pull it behind - only in sex masochism.”
Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile, maintained that the ‘reaction was worse than the provocation’, with Huth using a similar sentiment while protesting his punishment.
Here is the statement from the FA, in full:
Marouane Fellaini and Robert Huth will both serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after being charged with violent conduct which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.
The Manchester United midfielder and Leicester City defender were involved in a 21st-minute incident during their fixture on Sunday 1 May 2016.
Both players accepted the charge, however, Huth contested that the standard penalty of a three-match suspension would be ‘clearly excessive’.
This claim, however, was rejected following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today
