October 01, (THEWILL) – Southampton captain, Jack Stephens, has received a £50,000 fine and a two-match ban for using abusive language towards match officials during an English Premier League fixture against Manchester United. The incident occurred on September 14, when Stephens was dismissed for a high challenge on Alejandro Garnacho in Southampton’s 3-0 defeat.
The England Football Association reported that Stephens engaged in an argument with referee Stuart Attwell following his red card. This led to the submission of an extraordinary incident report. The FA statement confirmed that Stephens admitted to using abusive and insulting words towards both the match referee and fourth official around the 79th minute of the game.
An independent Regulatory Commission imposed the sanctions on Stephens. The defender will miss Southampton’s upcoming matches against Arsenal and Leicester City. This punishment is in addition to the three-game suspension he has already served for the initial red card offence, which saw him absent from fixtures against Ipswich Town, Everton, and Bournemouth.
The disciplinary action comes at a challenging time for Southampton, who currently find themselves in 19th position in the League table with only one point. The team’s struggles will be further compounded by the absence of their captain for two crucial upcoming matches.
The FA has made the written reasons for the sanctions available for public viewing, emphasising their commitment to transparency in disciplinary proceedings.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
