Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes will reportedly face no further action for putting his hands on an official during Sunday's 7-0 defeat to Liverpool.
The Portuguese playmaker wore the captain's armband in Man United's heaviest Premier League defeat of all time, where Cody Gakpo, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah all netted braces alongside a late Roberto Firmino goal.
Fernandes's performance both on and off the ball was the subject of intense criticism, and he was involved in a late incident with a linesman, appearing to put his hand on the official in the 81st minute.
The 28-year-old received no punishment on the field, and according to the Evening Standard, he will also escape further sanctions following a review of the incident.
The report claims that the FA has seen no need to take action against the Man United midfielder, even though the governing body can issue retrospective bans for red card offences.
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News of Fernandes escaping punishment did not go down well with Ref Support UK chief executive Martin Cassidy, who claimed that the 28-year-old's actions warranted a five-game ban.
"To get in contact with a match official is a serious offence and should be treated such way. I think that would be absolutely appropriate," Cassidy told the PA News Agency.
"Fernandes to me is typical of what seems to be happening in the game, this entitlement behaviour, you can just do what you want.
"His position as captain I think is untenable with his behaviours, and I think if he thinks it's appropriate for the captain of such an illustrious club as Manchester United to behave in such a manner, then the game's in a terrible state."
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett also took aim at the FA for letting Fernandes off the hook, claiming that the organisation are "letting the game down".
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"The FA have now given licence to a player to lay his hands on any official at all levels of the game. Do they know what they are doing? I do -they are letting the game down," Hackett wrote on Twitter.
However, Dermot Gallagher cut a more neutral figure, pointing out that the official appeared to 'manhandle' Fernandes before the Portugal international responded in kind.
"You don't want a player to be manhandling a match official, but I would suggest the assistant actually manhandles Fernandes more than he did," Gallagher told Sky Sports News.
"I think once the official does it first, Fernandes is almost like fly swatting, 'Get out of my way, I want to get on with it'.
"So whilst I don't condone it...and I think the referee is in a difficult position, because if he goes across and makes an issue of it, Fernandes is likely to say 'well, he grabbed hold of me first'. It is difficult."
Fernandes was also slammed as "embarrassing" by Man United legend Gary Neville at Anfield, although claims that he asked to be substituted late on have since been denied by the club.
Ben Knapton
