Papiss Cissé handed seven-match ban, Jonny Evans gets six-game suspension for spitting
ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Newcastle United's Papiss Cissé and Manchester United's Jonny Evans will serve suspensions of seven matches and six matches respectively for spitting at each other, the Football Association has announced, Kazinform refers to the Guardian.com.
The duo have been punished following an altercation between them during Wednesday's Premier League clash at St James' Park. Cissé accepted his FA charge on Thursday but defender Evans pleaded not guilty and his case was heard on Friday night. The duo have now been handed lengthy suspensions, with Cissé's punishment one game higher than the standard tariff for spitting due to an earlier sending-off this season.
"Both players were charged in relation to an alleged breach of FA Rule E1[a] in that in or around the 38th minute of the fixture they spat at each other," read an FA statement. "Mr Cissé accepted the charge and his suspension consists of six matches, which is the standard penalty for this offence, with an additional one match as he has previously accepted a violent conduct charge this season.
"Mr Evans denied the charge but it was found proven following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing on Friday [6 March], resulting in a six-match suspension. The incidents were not seen by the match officials but caught on video."
Having failed to clear his name, Evans will sit out the FA Cup quarter-final against Arsenal on Monday, as well as the league games against Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City, the FA Cup semi-final if United get there, and the trip to Chelsea if they do not.
Cissé will now miss the Magpies' league fixtures against Everton, Arsenal, Sunderland, Liverpool, Tottenham, Swansea and Leicester, and there will only be three games remaining when he becomes available once again for West Brom's visit to Tyneside on 9 May.