John Obi Mikel was booked for confronting Mark Clattenburg on the pitch Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has been suspended for three matches and fined £60,000 by the Football Association for an altercation with match officials last month. The Nigerian accused referee Mark Clattenburg of racially abusing him during Chelsea\'s Capital One Cup match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
Clattenburg was cleared by both the Metropolitan Police and the FA from the allegation that he said “shut up you monkey” to Mikel.
Mikel stormed in to the referee\'s room and has admitted to using threatening and/or abusive and/or insulting words and/or poor behaviour after the match.
An FA statement said: \"Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel has been given a three-match suspension with immediate effect and fined £60,000 following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today.”
The statement added that at the time of Mikel\'s threat, he genuinely believed that Clattenburg had racially abused him and for this reason his suspension was reduced.
The referees trade union, Prospect believes that the punishment is too lenient. \"It is vital that officials were given real respect and this decision regrettably gave entirely the wrong message. A player in parks football found guilty of behaviour like Mikel’s would have faced a long-term ban,” it said.
Mikel’s suspension rules him out of domestic duty until December 26.