Clayton Failla’s irate reaction to his sending off during the Premier League match against Sliema Wanderers has cost the Hibernians winger a three-match suspension while team-mate Bjorn Kristensen was banned for two matches as the Malta FA issued its list of sanctioned players yesterday.
Failla caught the headlines for the wrong reasons on Sunday after the Malta winger confronted referee Sandro Spiteri who had just dismissed Kristensen for an off-the-ball incident with Sliema midfielder Admir Vladavic on 74 minutes.
The referee initially booked Failla for dissent, a decision the player contested vehemently so much so that he had to be restrained by his team-mates.
The referee then dished out a second yellow card to Failla who was escorted to the dressing room by a club official.
Sliema went on to beat the Paolites 3-1 but all focus in the aftermath of the match was on the two red cards to the Hibs players and the one to Sliema’s Clifford Gatt Baldacchino late in the match.
Gatt Baldacchino was suspended for one match.
Contacted yesterday a top Hibs official told the Times of Malta the club are not excluding the possibility of launching an appeal against Failla’s suspension.
If things remain as they are, Failla will miss Hibs’ last three matches in the first phase, against Floriana (next Saturday), Qormi (Feb. 1) and Naxxar Lions (Feb. 8). Kristensen will return to action for the match against the Lions.
Also yesterday, Mosta striker Gianmarco Piccioni and Owen Bugeja, the Qormi defender, were handed a two-match ban each.
Piccioni will now skip the matches against Qormi, on Sunday, and Naxxar Lions on February 2, while Bugeja will be a spectator when his team play against Mosta and Hibernians.
Tarxien Rainbows defender Carlo Mamo picked a one-match ban and is ruled out of the clash against his former club Birkirkara on Saturday.
Vittoriosa Stars will not have coach Oliver Spiteri in their dug-out for the next two matches.
He was ordered off the bench in the Stars’ 4-0 defeat to Valletta and was handed a two-match ban.