FA ban Shaqiri showing they have more power than FIFA

The FA have made a bold stance today, and set a precedence for suspensions in English football.

Xerdan Shaqiri, fresh from signing for Stoke from Inter Milan, was all set to make his debut this weekend against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Unfortunately, some wise owl at FA headquarters, has decided that Shaqiri must face a suspension this weekend — hours after both clubs announced an away-ticket sell out fixture for the Swiss midfielder’s debut.

With no previous mention of such a possibility, no-one can blame the two or three-thousand travelling Stoke fans for being disgruntled.

The suspension is a result of the player picking up two yellow cards in the Coppa Italia competition earlier this year, meaning he was to miss the next cup fixture to be played. Inter lost the fixture in which he received his second yellow card, meaning he hadn’t had a chance to serve that suspension prior to his transfer to England.

In that time, Shaqiri has been available for, and played in, Inter’s league fixtures.

The English FA, however, have stated that there is no differentiation between cup and league fixtures, and so have informed the Potters the new star must miss this weekend.

I can understand a player facing suspension for ill-discipline, and rightly so if deserved. The bugbear though, is that the suspension is a cup suspension — not league. This punishment has been set by the association under whom the violations of the competition rules had been committed.

What right do the English FA have to change that ruling?

If the FA genuinely believe they have that right, it could open a whole can of worms of other decisions they feel capable of amending to suit their own agenda.