Scottish Daily Mail

I’M INNOCENT

Evans denies spit as Cisse apologises

- By CRAIG HOPE

PAPISS CISSE was last night banned f or seven games for his part in the spitting storm that also involved Manchester United defender Jonny Evans.

Evans himself is facing a ban of six matches if found guilty after the Football Associatio­n charged both men.

The i ncident came during United’s 1-0 win at Newcastle on Wednesday night when the pair spat at each other following a first-half tangle.

Both Newcastle striker Cisse, who admitted the charge, and Evans r eleased statements yester day in which t hey disagreed on the intent behind the disgusting scenes.

Bizarrely, Evans claimed he was shocked by the allegation­s and protested his innocence. Cisse responded by apologisin­g but said he was provoked when Evans spat at him.

Sportsmail understand­s that Cisse is furious that the Northern Ireland i nternation­al has not admitted his guilt, and is adamant t he defender spat at his leg.

And Cisse plans to inform FA disciplina­ry chiefs Evans intentiona­lly spat at him when questioned about the incident.

Having conceded he was wrong to react by spitting in Evans’s face, Cisse will be fined a week’s wages of around £ 40,000 by Newcastle, who will now be without their 11-goal top scorer until May.

FA rules were changed in the summer to bring them in line with FIFA guidelines which state a player found guilty of spitting at an opponent will be suspended for six games.

However, Cisse has already served a three-match ban for violent conduct this season after elbowing Everton’s Seamus Coleman and as a result will be hit with an additional one-game suspension. He will not return until the final three matches of the campaign.

Evans, meanwhile, could miss crucial Premier League fixtures against Spurs, Liver pool, Manchester City and Chelsea should he be found guilty. But the 27-year-old will contest the charge, to which he must respond by 6pm this evening.

Evans’s statement read: ‘Having woken up this morning, I am shocked to have seen the media coverage from last night’s match. I would like to make it clear that I did not spit at Papiss Cisse.

‘I was totally unaware of any spitting i ncident and had assumed that the issue at the time was with the challenge and his attempted retaliatio­n to the tackle from the floor.

‘During the game Papiss and I spoke about the incident and it is clear I was surprised by any suggestion of spitting.

‘It is not in my character or in my nature to spit at anybody nor is it something I have ever done or would ever do. It is certainly not something that I did last night.’

Cisse responded less than an hour later by saying: ‘I have apologies to make. Firstly to my team-mates and our supporters, secondly to Jonny Evans, and thirdly to every football fan who saw the incident.

‘I reacted to something I found very unpleasant. Sometimes it is hard not to react, particular­ly in the heat of the moment. I have always tried hard to be a positive role model, especially for our young fans, and yesterday I let you down.

‘I hope children playing football for their clubs and schools this weekend will know better than to retaliate when they are angry.

‘When they see the problem it now causes me and my team they will be able to learn from my mistake, not copy it.’

“It is not in my

character to spit

at anybody”

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