Alli escapes ban for his ‘silly’ gesture YOU MUST BE JOKING
DELE ALLI has talked his way out of a four-match ban that could have ruled him out of the first two games of the World Cup finals.
Apologising for any offence caused, Alli made it clear that his middle-finger gesture during England’s win over Slovakia was aimed at team-mate Kyle Walker. FIFA say the “overall suspension
shall be for at least four
matches for unsporting conduct towards a match official”.
However, TV replays aired by ITV seem to back up Alli’s explanation that “the gesture was a joke between me and my good friend Kyle Walker”.
The FA say they also have footage that has not yet been broadcast that supports Alli’s explanation.
The incident occurred just after play was waved on despite Alli feeling he had been body-checked by Martin Skrtel on Monday night.
Referee Clement Turpin is vaguely in the line of sight between Alli and Walker.
But the latter clearly reacts to the signal by throwing out his arms, suggesting he felt the gesture was meant for him.
Walker’s response on Twitter was light-hearted as he tweeted a video of Mr Bean flicking V-signs to passers-by.
Even if FIFA decide that, in the balance of probabilities, Alli was not aiming his gesture at the match officials, the Tottenham playmaker could still be in the dock under Article 57.
That rule states: “Anyone who insults someone in any way, especially by using offensive gestures or languages, or whose behaviour is unsporting in any other, way may be subject to sanctions.”
Those sanctions range from a warning to a ban, but while the mood within FIFA is to clamp down hard on any disrespect towards match officials, there are simply too many World Cup qualifying matches taking place for them to devote too much time investigating a “silly” but harmless exchange between team-mates.