New Delhi: Manchester United’s 2024/25 Premier League season has been off to a poor start and it was made even worse over the weekend. Club captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off in their most recent fixture against Tottenham Hotspurs at home as the hosts lost 3-0 to Ange Postecoglou’s men. The Portuguese was sent off towards the end of the first half for ‘serious foul play’ after he caught James Maddison with a knee high tackle.
The decision split decisions amongst fans and pundits alike with many claiming that the midfielder shouldn’t have been sent off for that tackle. Even Bruno himself stated in a post match interview with BBC Sport that he felt the tackle was “a clear foul but never a red card”. Bruno appeared to have slipped on his way to catching Maddison which led to referee Chris Kavanagh showing him a red card, a decision that was supported by VAR Peter Bankes.
However, the decision has now been reversed by the English FA, lifting the three-game ban which was due for the Manchester United captain.
Why was Bruno Fernandes’ ban lifted?
🚨 Bruno Fernandes will be available for Manchester United’s next three games after a successful claim of wrongful dismissal following his red card against Spurs. pic.twitter.com/FesZlWz0pu
— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 1, 2024
The FA upheld the claim of a “wrongful dismissal” while announcing their decision of overturning the ban. According to the handbook of the FA, a player is only guilty of a serious foul play if “he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball when it is in play.” Another way to describe a serious foul play according to the handbook is if someone makes “a tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent.”
The third case which is mentioned in the handbook which can be described as a serious foul play is if “a player lunges at an opponent in challenging for the ball from the front, from the side or from behind using one or both legs, with excessive force and endangering the safety of an opponent.” Bruno was guilty of doing neither of these things and that worked in his favour and the ban was overturned.
This means that the midfielder is now once again available for the club’s upcoming games against Aston Villa, Brentford and West Ham United. Sunday’s defeat to Spurs has left the club reeling in the bottom half of the table as they sit 11th on the points table. Having only won two of his first six Premier League games, manager Erik Ten Hag is under immense pressure. Reports suggest that the Aston Villa fixture could be the final straw for him if the club falls to another defeat, so having the suspension for Bruno lifted would be a welcome news for the manager.
Manchester United’s captain Bruno Fernandes was sent off in the club’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham but his suspension has been lifted by the FA. Dive in to find out why this decision was made. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
