Bielik suspended for two matches and fined £10,000

The Football Association has suspended Cardiff City defender Krystian Bielik for two matches and fined him £10,000 after he admitted a misconduct charge over an incident with a Portsmouth supporter during a Championship match on September 5. An independent regulatory commission imposed the sanctions following a hearing, the FA said. The incident occurred around the 71st minute of Cardiff’s match at Fratton Park. The FA’s charge said Bielik acted improperly, but its public statement did not specify the conduct underlying the charge. The commission’s written reasons are due to be published in due course. Descriptions of video footage in the reports say the exchange began as Bielik tried to retrieve the ball from the crowd and a young supporter threw it away. Bielik appeared to reach toward or push the supporter’s throat area, and the supporter appeared to retaliate. These accounts describe the footage; the FA’s published charge does not detail the physical contact. Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy said after the match that Bielik had been slapped in the face. Portsmouth manager John Mousinho also addressed the incident, according to reports.