Queens Park Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes will leave any decision about Joey Barton to Mark Hughes and chief executive Philip Beard.
Fernandes 'walking on air' after sealing Premier League survival
Queens Park Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes will leave any decision about Joey Barton to manager Mark Hughes and chief executive Philip Beard as the midfielder awaits disciplinary sanctions following his conduct at Manchester City.
Barton was shown a straight red card against his former club on Sunday for an apparent elbow on Carlos Tevez and then kicked out at Sergio Aguero as he walked off the pitch to spark a mass confrontation between both sets of players.
He later apologised for his actions but is now facing a lengthy ban, with the Football Association likely to increase an automatic four-match suspension.
Asked if QPR would take any separate disciplinary action, Fernandes insisted that Hughes and Beard would have to discuss the matter as part of their post-season review.
"I know Mark and Phil are talking about those kinds of things. It is too premature at the moment," Fernandes told
Sky Sports News.
Focused on positives
"We will have to wait and see and evaluate everything, and look at everything in retrospect.
"But that I'll leave to the manager and the CEO.
"I will not step in. My goal at the club is to bring in the right infrastructure and the right people. I leave the manager to manage the players.
"Of course the board will be involved, but we will let him come to us and say: 'This is what I would like to do'.
"For the moment we just want to focus on the positives and it is a little bit early to talk about that."
QPR secured their Premier League survival on the final day of the season despite conceding two late goals to Manchester City to lose 3-2 as Bolton failed to pick up the victory they needed to have a chance of staying up.
Fernandes admitted that it was a remarkable conclusion to a campaign which began with him taking over at Loftus Road in August.
"I'm still kind of walking on air to be honest," he said. "I have a smile from here to Malaysia.
"The chance to go and build something at QPR was too enticing an opportunity to miss, but the drama of yesterday and the feeling of today has made it even better."
