The Football Association is expected to consider an appeal to extend Liam Roberts’ three-match ban for his horror challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Keith Hackett is among former referees leading calls for the Millwall goalkeeper to face a five-game ban over a high kick which hospitalised the Crystal Palace forward during Saturday’s FA Cup match at Selhurst Park. Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, described it the “most reckless challenge on a football pitch I’ve ever seen”.
The FA have until 1pm on Tuesday to launch an “insufficient punishment” appeal, although sources maintain it is too early to say whether the governing body will do so. The situation is likely to become clearer on Monday, however, as the FA carries out various debriefs after the weekend’s FA Cup action.
Mateta was taken off on a stretcher after being caught in the face by a head-high challenge from Roberts who was sent off for the foul only after a VAR review.
The Palace forward, whose team won 3-1, received treatment for more than eight minutes before being taken to an ambulance. He was taken to St George’s Hospital in south London, before being discharged on Saturday evening having had 25 stitches in his left ear.
Mateta had been the target of chants of “let him die” from some of the 2,800 visiting supporters that could be clearly heard on television.
Millwall head coach Alex Neil – who said the clash was unintentional – and chairman James Berylson checked on Mateta’s condition after the game. It has also been claimed Roberts has reached out to the Palace striker since the incident in the sixth minute of the fifth-round tie.
Mateta had been running on to a long ball as Roberts raced out of his penalty area. The goalkeeper attempted to clear the bouncing ball and was off the ground when studs struck Mateta.
Parish said in an interview during BBC coverage of the game: “I think he [Roberts] needs to have a long, hard look at himself that lad, because he’s endangered a fellow professional, maybe his life with a challenge like that. So it’s very difficult for me to talk about the rest of the game because we’re worried about JP and it’s just a terrible, terrible challenge.”
Hackett, meanwhile, said in his Telegraph Sport column that the challenge was “totally unacceptable”. “Roberts rushes out of his area in order to clear the ball but endangers the Frenchman with his flying high boot,” he said. The former referee has since suggested the FA should seek to increase his ban to five matches.
According to FA rules, if the governing body deems a dismissal offence as “truly exceptional”, it can seek to increase the associated sanction by submitting a claim of “clearly insufficient” punishment. A claim and evidence must be submitted to the player’s club by 1pm on the second business day following the game. The club or player then has until 6pm on the second business day following receipt of the FA’s claim to “submit any evidence supporting their case that the punishment is ‘clearly sufficient’”.
“A Regulatory Commission would hear the case, with its only consideration being whether the standard punishment should not be imposed,” the FA rules state.
Mateta has reassured supporters on Instagram that he is on the mend.
