PERSATUAN Bolasepak England (FA) menolak rayuan Arsenal berhubung kad merah yang dilayangkan kepada Max Downman dalam perlawanan Piala Liga baru-baru ini.
Pemain berusia 16 tahun itu diperintahkan keluar padang oleh pengadil perlawanan pada minit ke-85 susulan tindakannya menendang pemain lawan, Harrison Neal, selepas satu terjahan keras.
Arsenal yang beraksi dengan 10 pemain itu terpaksa akur tewas menerusi penentuan sepakan penalti 3-5 kepada pasukan divisyen empat, Fleetwood Town, selepas kedua-dua pasukan terikat 1-1.
FA menolak rayuan itu dengan menjelaskan: "Suruhanjaya Kawal Selia bebas telah menolak rayuan berhubung dakwaan kad merah yang tidak wajar serta hukuman yang terlalu berat terhadap Max Dowman.
"Pemain Arsenal itu akan digantung selama tiga perlawanan." katanya.
Downman akan terlepas tiga aksi berdepan Liverpool, Hull City dan Newcastle United dalam kempen Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL).
This is really poor by @FA. The governing body is supposed to protect players. It should be disputing this regulatory commission verdict by members drawn from the FA judicial panel. Max Dowman could have suffered a bad injury to his standing leg from a dangerous challenge which went unpunished. Arsenal 16-year-old shouldn’t have reacted but his frustration was understandable. Some other players might have rolled around and ensured a bad challenge was punished. Dowman didn’t. He doesn’t stay down. The FA should have shown some understanding towards Dowman. Instead, it has suspended him for three games. FA priorities all wrong: tolerating a poor challenge and some weak refereeing but punishing a kid who objected to a bad challenge that could have dealt him a serious injury. Protect players. #AFC
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) October 29, 2026
