The Football Association will not take retrospective action against Gabriel Martinelli after he pushed a referee during Arsenal’s 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Southampton.
FA Takes No Action Against Martinelli for Pushing Referee Barrott
The incident occurred in the 94th minute at St Mary’s, when the Arsenal forward shoved official Sam Barrott on the arm as he tried to take a quick free-kick.
Referee Barrott immediately issued a yellow card, but with the official already dealing with the matter on the pitch, the FA sees no reason for a further ban.
This marks the second time this season Martinelli has avoided retrospective punishment.
He previously escaped a ban after pushing Liverpool defender Conor Bradley, who was on the ground with what turned out to be a serious injury.
Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey strongly criticised the decision to show only a yellow card.
“You just cannot put your hands on a referee, let alone push him out of the way,” Halsey said on the Athletic.
He argued the incident sends a terrible message to grassroots football officials across the country.
Ref Support UK, a charity that trains match officials, called on the FA to take a stronger stance.
“The FA cannot let him get away with that. This will be a missed opportunity if they don’t take action,” the organisation posted on X, adding that football authorities must act to prevent such behaviour from escalating further.
The FA’s decision confirms Martinelli remains available for Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures, but the controversy has cast a shadow over a miserable night for the Gunners, who saw their hopes of a treble end with the defeat to the Championship side.
