By Jimmy
Chelsea defender Reece James has been slammed with a match ban and a £90,000 fine.
The English FA had to punish the 23-year-old England international after he was involved in a tunnel clash with match officials after Chelsea’s 1-0 home defeat to Aston Villa on September 24.
James, who didn’t play the game due to his hamstring injury, was named on the bench and allegedly clashed with the center referee, Jarred Gillett verbally as they left the main bowl of Stamford Bridge.
Reece James acknowledged acting in an “improper, insulting, and abusive manner” toward the referee after the FA charged him with misconduct.
The FA claimed that James had consented to the charge and promised to make the written defense public “at the earliest opportunity.”
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Since he gained promotion to the club’s senior team on July 1, 2019, James has made 148 appearances in all competitions in which he scored 11 goals and provided 20 assists.
However, the right-back, who is now Chelsea’s captain, had a difficult time maintaining his fitness during the 2022–2023 campaign before sustaining a hamstring injury in September. Before the injury, Reece James managed to make just one Premier League appearance for the club in the 2023-2024 season.
The right-back will remain sidelined when Chelsea take on Burnley on Saturday, October 7 at Turf Moor as he continues with his recovery process.
After winning just two of their first seven league games under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, the Blues are currently ranked 11th in the Premier League.
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