Southampton defender Jack Stephens has been banned for two matches and handed a £50,000 fine after calling an official a “f***ing little c***” after being sent off against Manchester United.
Stephens was shown a straight red card by referee Stuart Attwell in the 79th minute of last month’s Premier League match at St Mary’s following a foul on United forward Alejandro Garnacho.
The 30-year-old club captain, admitted to swearing at fourth official Gavin Ward and Attwell as he made his way off the pitch.
Ward testified at an FA regulatory commission that Stephens called him a “f***ing little c***” before the defender temporarily returned to the pitch to pass on the captain’s armband and then made his way back down the tunnel, where he said to Ward: “You’re a c***.”
Attwell also testified that Stephens had called him “a c***” after being shown a red card.
Stephens, who joined Southampton in 2011, issued a “sincere apology” for his behaviour at to the commission. He added: “I bitterly regret my choice of language. The language I used is out of character for me.”
The centre-back referenced his position as captain and his roles across Southampton, including as coach of their under-16 team, to highlight the “extra responsibility” which he felt in an ambassadorial role.
Stephens said that while the atmosphere in the match was “highly charged”, he did not intend to hurt Garnacho with the challenge and he felt he could “stop the breakaway” of a United counterattack.
After being shown the red card, Stephens told the commission: “When the decision was confirmed I was upset. I did something that I am very disappointed with myself for. I know the importance of accepting a referee’s decision but instead I spoke to him saying something that I would not normally say. I then used that language again to Mr Ward.
“This is not an excuse, but it was in the heat of the moment and I was not aggressive towards either of the officials and did not argue with them and left the pitch, returning only to pass on the captain’s armband.”
Stephens has already missed the club’s Carabao Cup match against Everton and league games against Ipswich Town and Bournemouth through the three-match suspension for serious foul play as a result of the challenge. He will now miss Southampton’s trip to Arsenal on October 5 and the home match against Leicester City on October 19.
Things go from bad to worse for Southampton as Jack Stephens is sent off for this challenge on Alejandro Garnacho 🟥
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(Ryan Hiscott/Getty Images)
