Yeah, yeah. I’ve been
quiet. In my defence it’s mostly because
I am grossly lazy and verging on incompetent.
The good news though is that FFA are still there and still
hopeless. Any thought that saying
goodbye to Damien de Bohun was going to be the panacea for all ills was quickly
destroyed with the laughable behaviour from the FFA about Besart Berisha’s ban
for clearly kicking another player.
Let’s start with one of the basic tenants of football and
that is that you are responsible for your actions. Provocation is not justification for any
action on a football field and is quite clearly defined in disciplinary processes
as such. To see the FFA’s match review
panel reduce Berisha’s ban because he was 'provoked' is laughable and an embarrassment
to the players and officials at every level of the game in this country.
The precedent has been set.
Violent conduct is now a maximum of a one game ban.
You can bet more
players will this precedent use in the future. Harry
Novillo is currently facing missing the first two weeks of the finals and should even
now be looking to appeal the decision.
The good news is that he doesn’t need any facts to back up his
position. In fact if video evidence proves
what he is claiming to be untrue that seems to be an advantage in an appeal.
He just needs to mention is that a couple more people will attend the game or watch on TV and the FFA will bend over backwards to ensure he is available for this weekend’s games but fuck the integrity of the disciplinary process. Dollars before due process seems to be the FFAs new mantra for decisions without remotely evaluating the impact on others.
He just needs to mention is that a couple more people will attend the game or watch on TV and the FFA will bend over backwards to ensure he is available for this weekend’s games but fuck the integrity of the disciplinary process. Dollars before due process seems to be the FFAs new mantra for decisions without remotely evaluating the impact on others.
To see the FFA leading social media for this weekend with
Berisha is cringe worthy. It just underlines
the commercial decisions at play before the credibility of the sport or the
A-League players.
All of this of course is before you look at the lies that
provide the basis of the fundamentally flawed decision. This whole event is on video. The referee was 3 feet away. Photographic and video evidence clearly shows
that Andrew Durante did not touch Berisha in any way, shape or form yet
apparently he tried to choke the player.
How is such perjury allowed in what is meant to be a legal process to
ensure a correct result for the parties involved?
I would think Andrew Durante would be talking to lawyers
after such a public slight on his integrity and behaviour. I would also hope that the Professional
Footballers Association would be looking into how appropriate it is for this
sort of action to occur in a forum that is key to their members.
The FFA would dearly love this brushed under the finals rug
but the precedent it sets is dangerous at many levels from undermining the integrity
of match officials, undermining the laws of the game and impugning the character
of one of the most respected players in the A-League. Andrew Durante’s reputation has been thrown
out the door at the expense of chasing a dollar and the chance of Melbourne
Victory going further in the finals.
Even by the disgraceful standards of FFA behaviour this
year, this is a new low.
