Cardiff City defender Krystian Bielik has been banned for two games and fined £10,000 by the Football Association after he admitted a case of misconduct.
The charge related to the 28-year-old Poland international’s conduct around the 71st minute of Cardiff’s 2-0 Championship defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday, 5 September. The FA alleged that Bielik “acted in an improper manner” during the fixture. He subsequently admitted the charge, and an independent Regulatory Commission imposed the sanctions following a hearing, with the written reasons for its decisions to be published in due course.
The flash point came late in the second half as Bielik went to retrieve a ball from the crowd and became involved in a physical altercation with a fan. Several Portsmouth supporters made gestures indicating they believed the fan had been grabbed by the throat.
Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy claimed afterwards that Bielik “got slapped in the face”, while clips circulating on social media appeared to show the Poland international grabbing a young fan around his upper body. In the aftermath, another fan threw a ball at the head of Cardiff defender Perry Ng, and both supporters were ejected from the stadium.
Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho apologised to Cardiff City’s players after the game. In the days that followed, having been shown the footage, Mousinho said he was “absolutely furious” at the position he says he was put in over the incident.
A Hampshire Police investigation into the flash point concluded that no further action was needed on its part, although as part of the resolution Bielik provided an apology.
Bielik is now set to miss the Championship trip to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday, followed by the home game against Watford on Tuesday, 13 October.