Macarthur Bulls captain Valère Germain has been handed a two-game ban by Football Australia’s independent Match Review Panel (MRP) after an incident in last week’s draw against Western United.
The MRP convened on Monday to consider an incident involving Germain in stoppage time of Macarthur’s 2-2 draw with Western United on Sunday.
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The MRP issued the Bulls striker a Disciplinary Notice to show cause, enacting its authority to identify Citation Incidents including incidents involving a player which in its opinion based upon Law 12 of the Laws of the Game should have been sanctioned with a direct red card and escaped the referee’s attention.
Having concluded Germain had committed the offence of “Use of offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures against a Match Official”, the MRP issued Germain with the Disciplinary Cause and reconvened on Tuesday to review submissions on behalf of the French striker in response to the Disciplinary Notice.
Following the review of Germain’s submission, the MRP determined that the incident escaped the referee’s attention, that he had committed the offence, and proposed a two-game sanction, being the mandatory suspension plus one additional match.
Germain has advised Football Australia that he wishes to refer the matter to the independent Disciplinary and Ethics Committee in reference to what sanction should be imposed above the minimum of one game.
Germain will serve the minimum one-game suspension this weekend, missing Macarthur’s clash with Western Sydney Wanderers at CommBank Stadium, while he waits for the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee hearing which will be scheduled in the coming days.
