Ex-PGMOL boss: Tottenham and Aston Villa to be retrospectively punished, fines could be up to £250,000
Thomas Frank and Unai Emery could find their players suspended after Tottenham and Aston Villa clash in the FA Cup third round.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that Craig Pawson allowed for a “massive problem” to emerge on Saturday, 10 January.
Several big challenges went unpunished, with Xavi Simons avoiding a blatant caution early on, and emotions only bubbled over more as the minutes passed in North London.
Joao Palhinha was often at the centre of these controversial moments, albeit he did pick up his yellow card for a fantastic tackle on Morgan Rogers in the closing stages of Spurs’ defeat.
Joao Palhinha reacts badly to Aston Villa’s celebrations
The midfielder was clearly frustrated by some of the decisions which went against the Lilywhites, making his feelings known after Ollie Watkins celebrated in front of him at the full-time whistle.
Pedro Porro was also furious during the game, and all hell broke loose after Pawson blew for the end of the game, with several players and staff needing to be split up.
While the referee decided against punishing players in the moment, Hackett believes that the FA could take retrospective action after the scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was mainly Palhinha and Rogers, who had a previous meeting during the game, and that could backfire heavily if the authorities decide to punish retrospectively over the coming weeks.
Keith Hackett predicts FA intervention after Tottenham vs Aston Villa
Hackett, exclusively speaking to Football Insider on The Final Whistle, predicted just how severe the punishment could be for the Premier League sides, and it does not make for good reading.
“When these actions take place, and they’re moving towards spectators, you only need a couple of idiots or passionate fans to jump over the fence and come onto the pitch. Then, you’ve got a massive problem,” he said.
“I have no doubt that the FA will charge them this week for failing to control their players. If they actually review the video and look at individual players, and the referee says he hasn’t seen it, they will take retrospective action.
“I think there’s the potential for a big fine. In my day, there was the agreement that clubs could be fined up to £250,000, but that’s in the Premier League, not the FA Cup. The clubs have agreed that if there’s a punishment, the players will pay.“