Roberto Firmino

[labourRed]

FA investigating. Should be concluded by the end of the season.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/42587318

[danperkins]

What's annoying is that this could affect Firmino's great form hanging over him all season. Always something going on off the pitch with LFC.. ****ing tedious.

[Fuzzy]

I'm dreading this...

[Exiled_red]

If they are only going to go by the video footage then they can't charge him for being racist as there isn't any evidence to suggest so.

I guess that it's possible that there are more camera angles than we have seen. But from what we've seen on TV alone you imagine it would be difficult to prove anything

[Assassin]

I fear the worst here.......a lengthy ban

[Exiled_red]

What's annoying is that this could affect Firmino's great form hanging over him all season. Always something going on off the pitch with LFC.. ****ing tedious.

Echo article suggests he will be charged by tuesday if he's going to be. So hopefully that will be the end of it

[Chris]

Left in the hands of the FA. Well thats reassuring isn't it?! What could go wrong.

[Exiled_red]

The thing I fear is the 'balance of probabilities' rather than beyond reasonable doubt that they used previously

[Phoenix07]

The thing I fear is the 'balance of probabilities' rather than beyond reasonable doubt that they used previously

Difference is that Suarez admitted to using language in a manner perceivable to be racist, therefore it was probable that he meant to be racist. Suarez argued on the context of the language he used.

[fah-q]

Yeah regardless of what he said or didn't, if Suarez had said he said nothing then it would have been much harder to prove as nobody else heard it.

[Vermilion]

Holgate looks to be standing by his accusation then, no 'misheard' or 'misunderstood' climb down from him it seems.

[Kenneth]

I think it will be a three game ban for using offensive /insulting language. They will know the racial claim was ****ing bull**** but will frame it as lack of evidence. Holgate will go unpunished for both the push and the lie.

Some people will come away thinking, no smoke without fire, firmino is racist, others will think racism is being used and exaggerated for nefarious purposes. Both of these things are highly regrettable. Holgate has dug a hole for himself to cover his actions and everybody else loses.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I think it will be a three game ban for using offensive /insulting language. They will know the racial claim was ****ing bull**** but will frame it as lack of evidence. Holgate will go unpunished for both the push and the lie.

Seems being reckless does not count at all in this case. Shoving a player right into the crowd should be seen as endangering the player and potentially members of the public.


Seems that raising your hands to another player and pushing him into the crowd is now an acceptable behaviour.

[baronvonskidmark]

The thing I don't get is the ref was constantly shaking his head when talking to the 4th official. I thought he was saying that he didn't think it was a sending off/wasn't going to send Holgate off - but in light of the allegation, surely it would seem that he was saying that he hadn't heard anything. Or am I clutching at straws?

[Exiled_red]

I think it will be a three game ban for using offensive /insulting language. They will know the racial claim was ****ing bull**** but will frame it as lack of evidence. Holgate will go unpunished for both the push and the lie.

What counts as offenaive or insulting language though? Would telling a referee to **** off count? As Rooney does this regularly including a couple of times yesterday. Or will this be another thing that is enforced only once like the Respect campaign and Mascherano?