Fans want the FA to ban a Newcastle player after a ‘shocking’ moment in the game against Tottenham.
Fans have been calling on the FA to ban Yoane Wissa after his “shocking” moment in Newcastle United’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle kept up their good start under new boss Matthias Jaissle with a 2-0 win over Tottenham, just six days after a 2-2 draw against Liverpool at St James’ Park. New signing Nico Gonzalez made his debut after joining from Manchester City for £52 million. But it was the attacking pair Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa who really stood out.
Elanga scored the first goal for the second weekend in a row, with a left-footed shot that hit the post and went in. Ten minutes later, Wissa added a spectacular second with an acrobatic goal. Spurs struggled against Newcastle’s sharp attacks, and Wissa was a constant problem for their coach Roberto De Zerbi. He showed why Newcastle paid £55 million for him last summer, after a tough season at Brentford.
At 29, Wissa looks like a new man under Jaissle. He already has the same number of goal contributions this season in far fewer games. His energy, pressing, and skill near goal were exciting to watch. But his great game was spoiled by one avoidable moment when he fooled referee Peter Bankes.
Wissa clearly dived, falling without any contact from Spurs’ Mateus Fernandes, and was given a free kick for a foul. This angered Fernandes, who protested strongly. The clip of Wissa’s tumble quickly went viral, and many fans think the FA should punish him for cheating.
One fan said, “If the FA had any backbone, they’d ban Wissa next game. Such a shocking dive, but they let stuff like this happen all the time.” Another added, “He and VAR literally saved you from giving a clear penalty against Porro. How can you complain about the ref after that?” Others pointed out, “Wissa doesn’t even get booked for the biggest dive you’ll see all year.”
Some compared this to West Brom striker Aune Heggebo, who got a two-match ban earlier this month for deceiving a referee. Heggebo had handled the ball to score, and many thought the punishment was tough.
FA rules say players can be banned after the game for diving, but only if the dive fools the official and leads to a penalty or a red/yellow card for the other team. Since Fernandes didn’t concede a penalty or get booked, a ban for Wissa seems unlikely. But if a penalty or card had been given, then Wissa could be facing a two-match suspension.