Everton said they are “surprised and disappointed” after their appeal against defender Michael Keane’s red card against Wolves was rejected by a Football Association panel.
The Premier League club expressed their belief that Keane’s three-game suspension “is clearly excessive” in a statement, external on Friday.
Centre-back Keane, 32, was sent off for pulling the hair of Wolves‘ Tolu Arokodare in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw following a video assistant referee (VAR) review.
He will miss Everton‘s FA Cup tie with Sunderland on Saturday, plus Premier League games against Aston Villa and Leeds.
Speaking at a news conference shortly after the club’s statement was released, Everton manager David Moyes said he was “angry” with the three-person FA panel that had reached the decision – and “embarrassed” for the VAR after on-field referee Tom Kirk was instructed to review the incident.
He also referenced an incident during Thursday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool, in which Gabriel Martinelli attempted to shove the injured Conor Bradley off the field.
Moyes said: “Hugely disappointed. Hugely surprised. I’m probably more angry with the panel who thought that was the case. I have to question the three. I know who the three are and I’m amazed they in some way didn’t overturn it.
“We saw last night that it’s OK to throw a ball at somebody, it’s OK to push and pick up someone with a bad injury. But that a little pull of someone’s hair, accidentally, means a three-game ban is quite extraordinary for me.”
On the severity of the punishment, Moyes added: “Three games for what shouldn’t have been any games. I’m more embarrassed for whoever was on VAR. This is a young referee doing only his third or fourth game and VAR gave him a terrible decision. They shouldn’t have got involved at all.
“Embarrassed for them, looking to find the smallest things. I don’t think anybody would have paid any interest in it anyway [if not picked up].”
Hair-pulling is not specifically mentioned in the laws of the game, however it is categorised as violent conduct.
That is because it cannot be considered something you would do naturally when challenging for the ball.
Everton said: “We appealed in the firm belief the incident did not meet the threshold for violent conduct as defined in the rules, and that the action was neither forceful nor intentional.
“Our appeal was also lodged in support of Michael Keane, a player who plays the game with the highest ethical standards and who, prior to Wednesday, had never been dismissed for violent conduct in his career.
“It is our firm belief that the severity of the three-game suspension is clearly excessive, and we are surprised and disappointed that this point of appeal has also been rejected.”
BBC Sport has approached the FA for comment.
