Man City defender Vincent Kompany fears his unsuccessful appeal could be a sign that more players will be punished for trying to win the ball.
Man City defender delivers considered response to failed appeal
Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany hopes common sense will prevail in the debate over tackling in English football, but fears his unsuccessful appeal against the red card he received at the weekend could be a sign that more players will be punished for trying to win the ball.
Kompany was sent off for a challenge on Nani in Sunday's pulsating FA Cup tie at home to Manchester United, when ten-man City staged a valiant fightback before ultimately losing 3-2.
City contested the decision and manager Roberto Mancini was convinced it would be overturned, saying that his Belgian skipper had been dismissed 'for nothing'.
However, the Football Association announced on Tuesday that Kompany would have to serve a four-match suspension, with an additional game added to the statutory three-match ban as he has already been sent off once this season.
Kompany has now delivered a considered response to the FA's decision, raising wider concerns about the future direction of the game in England.
The 25-year-old insists that he has the utmost respect for Premier League referees but he does not want elements such as physicality being eradicated.
"I appealed because I obviously completely disagreed with the interpretation of the officials on the day but that happens in football and we move on," Kompany said on
Facebook.
"I wonder though if we are now going to see an unprecedented wave of red cards on match days because we sanction "ifs" and "maybes"?
"Are we going to look back at video evidence for every single challenge that goes unnoticed by the officials, look at different scenarios and potential outcomes of what could have been considered a good tackle and then sanction it?
Wrong reasons
"Players and managers are starting to expect more sending offs from referees and I think it's for the wrong reasons.
"My understanding is that English football prides itself on the hardness, the fairness and the tradition of its game.
"That is why hundreds of millions of people tune in to watch Premier League football and English referees have always been a key factor to that success in my opinion. So I don't agree with people saying that referees in this country aren't doing well as I think they are the best in the world.
"Hopefully common sense will prevail again in the future and I for one hope not to see consistency in sending offs and suspensions when the intent of a player is to win the ball."
Kompany hopes supporters agree with him in wanting to see tough tackling remain a part of the game, having thought carefully about how to reply to the failed appeal.
"I'd like to add to this that I waited for the suspension to be confirmed before making any comments on the matter as I didn't want to give the impression that I was using the media as a tool to benefit my own personal agenda in this case," he said.
"I'm not speaking on behalf of the club or anybody else, this isn't me defending myself, this is just me raising a genuine concern.
"If football fans decide I'm wrong in raising these concerns then I will have no problem in accepting the fact that times are changing again for our game."
