Marseille midfielder Joey Barton has complained after John Terry was only handed down a four-match ban from the FA.
The outspoken QPR loanee was given a 12-match suspension for violent conduct against Manchester City on the last day of last season, whilst the Chelsea defender was only given four matches on the sidelines after being found guilty of using racist language against Anton Ferdinand.
Barton has expressed his dismay at the lack of equality by the game’s governing body on Twitter.
“Well I think that proves a lot. What an absolute farce. Twelve games for violent conduct and only four for that. FA should be embarrassed. Shambles,” he tweeted to his followers on the social networking site.
“I was expecting at least a public execution after a year.
“Twelve games!!! By the FA’s perverse reckoning, I’d have got less of a ban for racially abusing the Man City players than tickling them as I did. In what circumstance can that be right?” he concluded.
By Gareth McKnight