Jonjo Shelvey‘s five-game ban and £100,000 fine was for allegedly calling Wolves Moroccan Romain Saiss a ‘smelly arab‘
The FA hit the former Liverpool man with the punishment on Tuesday after a thorough investigation into the incident on September 17 and he has seven days to appeal
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JONJO SHELVEY was hit with a five-game ban and £100,000 fine after the Newcastle and England midfielder called Wolves man Romain Saiss a "smelly Arab", according to the Daily Mail.
The FA hit the former Liverpool man with the punishment on Tuesday after a thorough investigation into the incident on September 17 and he has seven days to appeal and privately still completely disputes the words being attributed to him.
Newcastle were 2-0 down at home to Wolves - and had been reduced to 10 men after Vernon Anita was sent off - when Saiss' team-mates claim to have heard the ex-Charlton star racially abuse the Moroccan.
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The investigation has been complicated by the fact Saiss speaks little English and it was his team-mates who reported the abuse.
An Independent Regulatory Commission found the Three Lions man of using racially aggravated language and Shelvey was granted a personal hearing where he took mixed-race Dwight Gayle and Serbian Aleksandar Mitrovic to help defend him, to no avail.
The FA statement said read: "Jonjo Shelvey has been given a five-match suspension and £100,000 fine after an FA misconduct charge against him was found proven.
“'The Newcastle player was charged with using abusive and/or insulting words towards an opponent in the 87th minute of the game against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday September 17, 2016.
“It was further alleged that this breach of Rule E3(1) was an 'Aggravated Breach' as defined in Rule E3(2), as it included reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or nationality.
“The player, who denied the charge at an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, was also ordered to attend an FA education course.'”
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Depending on the decision to appeal, Shelvey is set to miss the following Toon games: Nottingham Forest (H), Blackburn Rovers (A), Birmingham (FA Cup, A), Brentford (A) and Rotherham (H).
However, if the club and manager Rafa Benitez decide to fight the decision, he could also miss the important promotion clash with Brighton on January 28.
Before the case went to the commission, Benitez backed one of his star performers of the season so far, saying: “We know that he has the quality, hopefully everything will be OK.
“If you could see him with the squad he has got a lot of friends around him.
“Hopefully the situation will be fine and we can carry on playing football, that’s what he has to do.”