EPL:Chelsea's Ramires accepts four-game ban and will miss title run-in

José Mourinho also subject to
disciplinary action by FA
Chelsea's Ramires could still play for
the club this season if Chelsea remain in the Champions League.

Thursday 24 April 2014
Ramires has accepted a four-game ban
after being charged with violent conduct
by the Football Association following an
off-the-ball incident that was not seen
by the match officials but caught on
video.
The incident occurred during Chelsea's
Premier League fixture against
Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on
Saturday 19 April. The ban includes
three matches for this offence plus an
additional game for his sending off at
Villa Park last month.
The suspension means the midfielder
will miss the Blues' title run-in. The
Brazilian had until 6pm on Thursday to
respond to a Football Association charge
for striking Sunderland's Sebastian
Larsson in an off-the-ball incident on
Saturday and chose not to contest it.
Having already been sent off against
Aston Villa last month, he received an
additional one-match ban on top of the
regular three games.
That rules him out of Sunday's visit to
title rivals Liverpool – a match for which
Chelsea boss José Mourinho has already
threatened to play a weakened team – as
well as meetings with Norwich and
Cardiff. The fourth and final match of
the ban will cover the first domestic
game of next season.
The 27-year-old's season is not over as
long as Chelsea remain in the
Champions League, with a 0-0 draw in
their semi-final first leg against Atlético
Madrid leaving them in a strong
position.
Mourinho and assistant Rui Faria were
also subject to disciplinary action by the
FA on Wednesday, following the Black
Cats' victory at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho gave an apparently highly
sarcastic appraisal of referee Mike
Dean's performance, as well drawing
referees' chief Mike Riley into the
debate, while Faria was dismissed for
angrily confronting the match officials.
The pair have until 6pm on Monday to
consider their responses. Faria's case
has been designated a "non-standard"
one by the FA "due to the aggressive
and/or threatening and/or serious
nature of the reported behaviour."
It is the third time Mourinho has faced
FA disciplinary action this term. As well
as the Villa Park incident which has left
him seething, Mourinho was fined
£8,000 after accepting a charge following
his dismissal against Cardiff in October.
Press Association