Mikel red card appeal rejected
John Obi Mikel banned for three games after red card appeal fails
Tuesday, 25, Sep 2007 03:58
The Football Association has rejected an appeal by Chelsea over John Obi Mikel's red card against Manchester United last Sunday.
An FA statement announced that the Nigerian midfielder would serve a three-match suspension for the straight red shown to him by referee Mike Dean following a foul upon Patrice Evra.
Despite catching the French defender with a late challenge after losing control of the ball, the 20-year-old did not appear to launch into a two-footed tackle as claimed by Dean.
Mikel's first-half dismissal, the third of his Chelsea career so far, helped contribute to Chelsea's 2-0 defeat to the league champions and angered new Blues boss Avram Grant.
The Israeli's mood was worsened further by a Carlos Tevez goal in time added on after first-half injury time and a controversial penalty in the dying minutes of the game.
"The referee tried his best," Grant said at the time. "He made three mistakes only, the red card, the goal after time, the penalty."
A statement on Chelsea's website acknowledged the FA's decision. Mikel will now miss Wednesday's Carling Cup trip to Hull and following league games with Fulham and Bolton.