Silva’s Appeal Against Ban, Fine Partially Upheld

Fulham manager Marco Silva’s appeal against a one-match touchline ban and a £90,000 fine has been partially upheld by an independent appeal board.

The Portuguese coach was sanctioned by the Football Association following comments he made after Fulham’s 1-0 defeat to West Ham in the Premier League on 4 March.

Speaking to BBC Match of the Day after the loss, the 48-year-old stated that referee John Brooks’ decisions were at a “very low level,” adding it had been the “story of our season” when the official had been in charge of the Cottagers’ matches.

Following his remarks, the FA charged Silva with “acting in an improper manner by making comments in a post-match interview that imply bias and/or question the integrity and/or are personally offensive” towards a match official.

Silva’s touchline ban, initially imposed by an independent regulatory commission, was paused pending the outcome of an appeal. It has now been suspended until the end of the 2026-27 season.

However, his £90,000 fine remains in place.

The appeal board’s written reasons for their decision “will be published in due course,” the FA confirmed in a statement.