It has come to the attention of some observers that Hannibal, a product of the Manchester United youth system, allegedly projected saliva in the direction of Leeds United followers during the latter portion of their 2-0 loss to the Clarets on Saturday afternoon.
The player entered the match as a substitute in the 83rd minute and received a caution following a robust challenge on Gabriel Gudmundsson as Burnley secured the victory on their home field.
According to reports from a national publication, both the FA and local law enforcement are examining the allegations put forth by the traveling fans. As of yet, there has not been an official launch of an inquiry by the primary organization overseeing English football.
Hannibal Mejbri accused of spitting at Leeds United fans
Over the course of the weekend, a representative of the county constabulary released the following statement: “The authorities are aware of a supposed occurrence implicating a Burnley athlete during the second period of the Premier League contest between Burnley and Leeds United at Turf Moor. Collaboration with Burnley Football Club is underway to ascertain the specific details.”
Burnley has refrained from issuing any statement regarding the situation. During the previous season, Hannibal did little to endear himself to the Leeds supporters during the Clarets’ 1-0 victory at Elland Road, as he seemed to taunt those in the Norman Hunter South Stand after being taken off the pitch.
What sort of punishment could Hannibal face if found guilty?
Discharging saliva towards an opposing player is regarded by the FA as ‘grave inappropriate conduct’ and carries a suspension lasting at least six matches.
Back in 2015, Jonny Evans, then with Man United, received a six-game suspension, while Papiss Cisse was banned for seven games, owing to a previous instance of violent conduct. These penalties were issued after the two players spat at each other during a Premier League game at St. James’ Park.
In a similar vein, Arthur Masuaku was handed a six-match ban in January 2018 for directing saliva at Nick Powell of Wigan Athletic during an FA Cup encounter for West Ham United.
Other notable cases of spitting include that of Patrick Vieira, formerly of Arsenal, who received a six-match suspension and a fine of £30,000 for spitting at Neil Ruddock of West Ham during a game in 1999.
Regarding instances of players spitting at spectators, fewer precedents exist to inform the potential penalty Hannibal might face.
In 2003, while playing for Liverpool in the UEFA Cup, El Hadji Diouf was judged to have spat at a Celtic fan, leading to an assault charge. Diouf admitted guilt in a Scottish court, paid a £5,000 fine, and received a two-game suspension from UEFA matches.
Diouf also faced fines from courts in 2005 for spitting at a child at the Riverside Stadium during his time as a Bolton Wanderers player – marking his second spitting-related incident for the club. Previously, he had served a three-game ban for spitting at Arjan de Zeeuw of Wigan.
Since those events, English football’s regulatory framework regarding spitting has been standardized, with the offense classified as ‘grave inappropriate conduct,’ explaining the significant duration and severity of suspensions imposed on players in the modern era.
Should Hannibal be found to have spat towards the Leeds supporters, it’s possible the 22-year-old could be charged with assault and face penalties both from the courts and the FA.
Perhaps the most well-known instance of a player physically attacking a spectator is Eric Cantona’s infamous ‘kung-fu kick’ directed at Crystal Palace supporter Matthew Simmons in January 1995. Initially, Man United suspended Cantona for the remainder of the season, but the FA later extended this to an eight-month ban from all competitive football globally.
Cantona was subsequently charged with assault and received a two-week prison sentence, which was later commuted to 120 hours of community service upon appeal.
In January 1989, Brian Clough, then the manager of Nottingham Forest, received a touchline ban for striking supporters of his own club during a pitch invasion at the City Ground. The FA’s punishment of Clough was effective for the rest of the 1988/89 season, excluding the 1989 League Cup Final.
