Chelsea's appeal of Thibaut Courtois red card against Swansea rejected by FA
Thursday 13 August 2015 10:44, UK
Chelsea's appeal of Thibaut Courtois' red card against Swansea has been rejected by the FA.
The Belgium goalkeeper was given a straight dismissal in the 52nd minute of the 2-2 Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge after bringing down striker Bafetimbi Gomis in the box.
Courtois will therefore miss Super Sunday's clash against Manchester City at the Etihad, which is live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 3.30pm.
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An FA statement on Tuesday confirmed: "A claim of wrongful dismissal submitted by Chelsea in relation to Thibaut Courtois has been unsuccessful following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing earlier today.
"The goalkeeper was dismissed for denying a goal-scoring opportunity in the 52nd minute of Chelsea's game against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday August 8, 2015.
"Therefore, the player's one-match suspension, which is the standard penalty for this offence, remains with immediate effect.
"For a club to be successful with a claim of wrongful dismissal, it must prove to an Independent Regulatory Commission via written and/or video evidence that the match referee made an obvious error."
New signing Asmir Begovic replaced Courtois but could not save Gomis' subsequent strike from the spot, which equalised for the Welsh side, and Begovic is now set to make his first start for the Blues this weekend.
