Mitrovic gets eight game ban for pushing referee
Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic has been handed an eight-game ban after he shoved a referee during his side's FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United last month. The Serbian international was shown a straight red card for pushing Chris Kavanagh after the official awarded a penalty and dismissed Fulham's Willian for deliberate handball on the line. Fulham manager Marco Silva was also shown a red card at the time and will serve a two-game ban. Silva's men were leading 1-0 at the time of the red cards, but went on to lose 3-1 at Old Trafford. On top of an automatic three-match ban, Mitrovic was handed another three games for violent conduct towards a match official and a further two for using language that was "improper, abusive, insulting and threatening". The 28-year-old accepted the latter charge, which also came with a £75,000 (US$93,000) fine. Mitrovic said last week that he regretted his actions and had spoken to Kavanagh to apologise. He served the first match of his ban in Fulham's 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth and will remain unavailable until the Cottagers face Southampton on May 13. (AFP)