THE FA have been told to ban El Hadji Diouf — before he ruins someone’s life.The Bolton bad-boy got away with murder on Sunday, earning just a yellow card for a horror X-rated challenge on Liverpool’s Alvaro Arbeloa.
Now former top ref Jeff Winter reckons the time has come for the authorities to get tough before the striker breaks an opponent’s leg — or even ends their career.
On paper, the FA are unable to punish Diouf as the match officials dealt with the offence on the pitch.
But Winter, who described the tackle as “an assault”, says the rules must be changed to stamp out the cheats.
He said: “One of these days someone is going to get their leg broken — at best — and — at worst — have their career ended by a stupid tackle that could have been prevented.
“Anyone who has ever played football knows that you cannot win the ball by jumping into a challenge and the sooner the FA get tough on this kind of crime the better.
“Referees should show straight red cards for two-footed lunge tackles — and there should be no exceptions.
“That would stamp it out completely.
“Even if it means we have games spoiled because there are so many red cards being shown, then so be it.
Complete disgrace“I don’t want to take any of the heart and commitment out of the game but these challenges are like physical assaults.
“It’s frustrating because it is blatantly obvious that on a Monday morning the authorities are not going to take any action.
“If the ref has already cautioned a player, it is not in the FA’s power to do any more about it.
“They won’t upgrade a yellow to a red, even if the player deserves it — which, to me, is a complete disgrace.
“Diouf’s challenge, for example, earned him a yellow card when it should have been a red.
“But, to be honest, that tackle was so bad it deserved a SIX-MATCH ban — let alone three games. They should hammer him.
“Sooner or later Diouf, or a player like him, is going to seriously hurt someone or even end their career.
“The FA would certainly have charged Diouf with violent conduct yesterday had the ref not seen it. Instead, because the ref has dealt with it, the authorities won’t lift a finger and it’s farcical.”
ReadingÂ’s Stephen Hunt got away with a similar challenge against Manchester City a week earlier.
But Tottenham skipper Robbie Keane was not so lucky after seeing red during SundayÂ’s 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Birmingham.
Winter, who retired from refereeing after the 2004 FA Cup final, says football should now adopt the same approach as rugby — where cheats can be cited a few days after a game has finished.
He added: “I think we’re going to see over the next few weeks a splurge of red cards because I’m sure the referees are going to be told they must get tough on these types of incidents.
“There is no place in the game for the sort of two-footed challenges that we’ve seen recently by the likes of Stephen Hunt and El Hadji Diouf.
“They’ve got to be read correctly and red cards have to be issued.
“Of course, when you see feet flying in, there are times when there are over-reactions from the officials, as with Robbie Keane’s dismissal.
“In his case, the replay shows he didn’t go in with two feet and, maybe, a red card was a little bit harsh. But if sending him off gives the right message that those kind of challenges need to be stamped out, I can live with that.
“In rugby, they have a citing officer whose job it is to look through the tape and, basically, re-ref the game.
“Even if a player has been carded, there is the possibility of retrospective action if the foul play warrants it.
“Perhaps we should have the same sort of thing here.
“These two-footed challenges have crept into the game more and more recently. It’s like one every week and it must be stopped.”
Spurs have appealed Keane’s red card, as video replays showed the striker lunged with only one foot — not two.
But what angered Tottenham most was how ref Phil Dowd appeared to consult the fourth official, Uriah Rennie, over his radio mic before giving Keane his marching orders — which is against the rules.
However, the body in charge of Premier League refs, the Professional Game Match Officials, last night insisted Dowd did NOT consult Rennie — but merely informed him of the action he was taking in order to aid the management of the technical areas.
Winter added: “Normally, when you are going to send a player off, the card is in your hand very quickly.
“But, in my view, he was just radioing his officials to say ‘Get ready, I’m giving him a red card’.
“The fourth official is only supposed to get involved with a decision if it is regarding an off-the-ball incident that no one else has seen.
“People say they look at replays but they are not allowed to.
“I’m not saying it has never happened in the past, where the ref has acted on the nod and a wink from a fourth official.
“But in this case, I think that’s impossible because Rennie would not have had enough time to see a replay.”
