Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mousa Dembele has been handed a six-game ban by the FA after pleading guilty to a violent conduct charge.
The Belgium international was charged after he appeared to stick his fingers into the eye of Chelsea forward Diego Costa on Monday night.
The incident happened as players from both sides clashed after the final whistle of the game which saw Tottenham’s title hopes end. The 2-2 draw meant Leicester City were confirmed as Premier League champions.
BREAKING NEWS: #THFC midfielder Mousa Dembele suspended for six matches after eye-gouging incident in game against Chelsea. #SSNHQ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 6, 2016
Spurs had taken a two-goal lead in the first half of the match, before goals from Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard earned a point for last season’s champions.
The North London club knew that anything less than a win would hand the title to Leicester, and their emotions spilled over as the game carried on, eventually ending in a clash between players once the game had ended.
Both clubs were charged with failing to control their players, but Dembele was the only one to have been singled out by the FA, who claimed that the usual punishment of a three-match suspension for violent conduct would be “insufficient” for an offence of this nature.
Spurs – who had a Premier League record nine players booked on the night – must now deal without Dembele for the final two games of this season, as well as the opening four games of the 2016/17 campaign.
