Check out the list of the longest bans in Premier League history
The Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic had the unfortunate distinction of receiving one of the longest bans the Football Association has ever imposed.
The Serbian international was ejected from Fulham’s FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Manchester United on March 19 after pushing referee Chris Kavanagh.
Later, Mitrovic was given an eight-game ban, which, while harsh, is not the harshest penalty ever imposed on a Premier League player.
In the past, some footballers have been given longer suspensions for a range of offences.
Top list of the longest bans in Premier League history and which player was suspended the longest
Eric Cantona and Mark Bosnich have received the longest Premier League bans in league history.
Both athletes were given nine-month bans during their tenure with Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively.
After testing positive for cocaine in 2002, Bosnich was banned from the Blues, and Cantona was memorably fired in 1995 after kung-fu-kicking a Crystal Palace fan.
After being suspended for a significant amount of time for biting and racial abuse, only Luis Suarez shows twice among the 10 longest bans currently in effect.
| Year | Player | Club | Ban length | Offence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Eric Cantona | Man United | 9 months | Kicking fan |
| 2002 | Mark Bosnich | Chelsea | 9 months | Failed drug test |
| 2003 | Rio Ferdinand | Man United | 8 months | Missed drug test |
| 2004 | Adrian Mutu | Chelsea | 7 months | Failed drug test |
| 2011 | Kolo Toure | Man City | 6 months | Failed drug test |
| 1998 | Paolo Di Canio | Sheffield Wednesday | 11 games | Referee shove |
| 2005 | David Prutton | Southampton | 10 games | Referee shove |
| 2013 | Luis Suarez | Liverpool | 10 games | Biting |
| 2011 | Luis Suarez | Liverpool | 8 games | Racial abuse |
| 2023 | Aleksandar Mitrovic | Fulham | 8 games | Referee shove |
How are Premier League bans calculated?
The length of any ban is decided by a number of factors.
First off, if a player is dismissed from a game after getting two yellow cards, they will only be suspended for one match.
A one-match suspension is also common when red cards are given for serious offences like handballs that stop goals or tripping a player heading towards goal.
Then, two-match suspensions are frequently handed out for dissent or getting 10 yellow cards in a single season.
Violent behaviour will then result in suspensions of three games or longer depending on the crime, with suspensions for offences involving referees or other match officials being more severe.
Premier League players’ bans are legitimate for all regional competitions, such as the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, but UEFA competitions do not take them into consideration.