Fulham defender Sascha Riether may yet escape ban for stamp on Manchester United's Adnan Januzaj as Fulham challenge FA charge
The FA could be left red-faced as Fulham challenge decision to charge Sascha Riether for his stamp on Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj
Sascha Riether said sorry to Adnan Januzaj and appeared to accept a ban for stamping on the winger
The Football Association was embroiled in another disciplinary farce on Tuesday night after Fulham rejected its attempt to ban Sascha Riether despite the player admitting to stamping on Adnan Januzaj.
Fulham decided to challenge the FA's decision to allow Riether to become the first player charged by its new video panel of former referees after questioning whether it had followed its own rules by doing so.
It is understood that, after serious debate, the club elected to dispute the FA's interpretation of its new regulations that govern when retrospective action can be taken against players for violent conduct.
Although Fulham acknowledge Riether's stamp on Manchester United midfielder Januzaj on Saturday warranted a red card, they believe the FA set a precedent on such incidents by failing to ban Fernando Torres for scratching Jan Vertonghen's face in September's match between Chelsea and Tottenham.
The FA said it was unable to punish Torres because one of the match officials had witnessed the "coming together" of the two players, a decision which left it under heavy fire.
In charging Riether on Monday, it made it clear it did so because none of the officials at Craven Cottage said he saw the incident.
However, video footage appears to show referee Lee Probert not only running towards the area of the field where the stamp took place, but blowing his whistle the moment it occurred.
If Fulham are able to demonstrate this places the incident in the same category as the Torres verdict, the FA could be forced into yet another embarrassing climbdown - arguably its most embarrassing yet in its attempts to get a grip on retrospective action after Fulham full-back Riether apologised for his actions and declared himself ready to serve a three-match ban.
"I want to say I am sorry to Adnan Januzaj," he said.
"It was very unlike me and I can only say that frustration got the better of me. I also want to apologise to my team-mates, fans and everyone at the club, for the ban incurred following Saturday's match. I will accept the consequences of my actions, and hope to put it behind me when I return.
"I want the fans to know that I will be working hard to stay fit and will be ready to continue fighting for the club as soon as I am able."
The fact there is even a dispute over Riether's charge makes another mockery of the tweak to the disciplinary rules that was meant to prevent players escaping punishment in such circumstances.
In the wake of the Torres incident, Greg Dyke, the new FA chairman, promised to tighten up those regulations further, possibly before the end of the season.
Such changes are usually limited to the close season and have previously required the backing of English football's other stakeholders: the Premier League, Football League, Professional Footballers' Association, League Managers Association and Professional Game Match Officials Ltd.