Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrović has received an eight-game match by the Football Association for an altercation with referee Chris Kavanagh after receiving a red card against Manchester United. The incident took place in the FA Cup quarter-final at Old Trafford when Fulham’s Willian received a red card for preventing a goalscoring opportunity with his arm.
Arguing with this call, the Cottagers manager Marco Silva rushed towards the VAR official at the game and was shown a quick red card. Further protesting these suspensions, Mitrovic complained at Chris Kavanagh and was seen pushing the referee, resulting in another red card. The English FA released a statement regarding the ban which also included a £75,000 fine.
Check out the statement here:
Addressing the incident, Aleksandar Mitrović expressed that he deeply regretted his actions and admitted his reaction to be wrong. He further stated that he understand the reasons behind receiving the red card and has volunteered to accept a club fine.
He said, "On a personal level, I regret my actions that led to me being sent off. I allowed my frustration to get the better of me, and how I reacted was wrong. I was trying to get the referee's attention, but I appreciate that I should not have put my hands on him and I understand why he showed me a red card, my first in-game sending-off for Fulham and my first since the 2015-16 season.”
"I have accepted the three-match ban for my red card, I have spoken to Chris Kavanagh to apologise, and I have volunteered to accept a club fine. I now want to do what I can to put this incident behind me and get back to helping my teammates on the pitch as soon as possible."