Post by QPR Report on Dec 5, 2008 21:06:12 GMT
BBC Evra banned after Chelsea fracas
The confrontation occurred after Chelsea beat their title rivals 2-1
Patrice Evra has been banned for four matches and fined £15,000 following last season's post-match altercation with a groundsman at Stamford Bridge.
The Football Association (FA) found the Manchester United defender guilty of improper conduct.
A United statement called the ban, which starts on 22 December, "excessive" and hinted they may appeal.
Chelsea were fined £25,000 for failing to ensure an employee conducted himself in an orderly fashion.
The FA said charges that groundsman Sam Bethell had used racially abusive language towards Evra after the match could not be proven.
A statement on United's website read: "Manchester United note the announcement from the FA and are disappointed with the decision and in particular consider the sanctions against Patrice Evra excessive.
"Manchester United and Patrice will consider all options once there has been an opportunity to digest the full reasons for the decision. There will be no further comment."
The two-day hearing in London finished on Friday and was attended by officials from both clubs, with the cases being heard separately by the FA's regulatory commission.
Evra and his team-mates were asked to move while warming down, sparking the row after last season's 2-1 league defeat in April.
Evra, Gary Neville, Park Ji-Sung, Danny Wellbeck, John O'Shea and Paul Scholes - who did not feature in the match - were running on the field in a warm-down about 30 minutes after the final whistle when the trouble broke out.
The Frenchman and Bethell were pictured having a confrontation following the incident, with Bethell raising a fist towards Evra while being held back by two Chelsea staff members.
The FA said Evra had struck Bethell on the side of the head, and that the player admitted to pushing a different groundsman with his chest.