Nemanja Matic will now miss Chelsea’s next two domestic fixtures, after the Football Association upheld the club’s appeal over a three-game ban.
The Serbian midfielder was sent off for violent conduct, during the Blues’ 1-1 draw with Burnley last week by referee Martin Atkinson.
“In reaching this decision the members of the Regulatory Commission rejected the mitigation advanced by Nemanja Matic in respect of the provocation and tackle he received which led to his act of violent conduct,” Roger Burden, Chairman of the Regulatory Commission, said.
“The violent response of Mr. Matic to the nature of the tackle cannot be condoned and does not vindicate his subsequent actions. The members of the Commission did, however, accept the mitigation in respect of the level of force used by Mr. Matic and the nature of the contact he made with Mr. Barnes of Burnley FC.
“Having made those considerations we determined that the standard punishment of a three-match suspension would be clearly excessive and, therefore, ordered that the suspension be reduced to two matches.”
The Regulatory Commission’s decision, means Matic will sit out Chelsea’s Capital One Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur and the Premier League game away to West Ham.
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