adminLONDON. — West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku has been banned for six games by the English Football Association following his red card against Wigan for spitting.
Masuaku was shown a straight red card during West Ham’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with the Latics on Saturday, which they lost 2-0, after he was caught spitting at Nick Powell. Hammers manager David Moyes later described Masuaku’s actions as “despicable” while the 24-year-old admitted it was “totally unacceptable”.
While West Ham are set to fine the defender two weeks’ wages of around £50 000, the FA have now issued the player with a standard six-match suspension for spitting.
The ban means Masuaku will miss West Ham’s home game against Crystal Palace today, and further matches against Brighton (away), Watford (home), Liverpool (away), Swansea (away) and Burnley (home).
Masukau took to Twitter on Sunday evening to apologise to Moyes and the West Ham fans for letting them down, saying: “I want to say sorry for my actions yesterday — I let down my team-mates, the manager, coaches, board and the fans.
“I am very sad because the manager and coaches have put a lot of faith in me but I will work very hard to try and win that back.
“It was in the heat of the moment and out of character for me but I know it was totally unacceptable and I will learn from the first red card of my career.” Spitting carries a mandatory six-game suspension and Masuaku is now to be out until the middle of March, further depleting a Hammers squad that has a string of injuries.
Moyes had said following the defeat: “Ultimately, Arthur, what he’s done, was despicable. He will deserve everything he gets and he will get something off us as well.
“It’s unacceptable, totally unacceptable. The referee (Chris Kavanagh) doesn’t see it and can’t see it. So it was the players’ reaction that got him sent off. Ultimately they got the right decision so I can have no qualms about it.”
In fact, Masuaku copped a massive dressing down from furious West Ham boss Moyes over his spitting shame. The disgraced Frenchman was ordered in for training and then hauled in to see the manager to ram home the full impact of his crime. — The Evening Standard.
Online Reporter