• Premier League

Riether apologises to Januzaj over stamp

Sascha Riether escaped a red card for a late stamp on Adnan Januzaj on Saturday © PA Photos

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Fulham right-back Sascha Riether has apologised to Adnan Januzaj for stamping on him during Manchester United's win at Craven Cottage and has accepted a charge of violent conduct.

The incident occurred near the end of Fulham's 3-1 defeat on Saturday but was not seen by referee Lee Probert or his assistants at the time.

Riether has now become the first player to be charged by the Football Association under a new pilot scheme where a panel of three former referees reviews video evidence of incidents not seen by match officials.

The defender had until 1800 GMT on Tuesday to respond to the charge and took to Twitter ahead of the deadline to accept the punishment, as well as apologise for his actions.

I want to say I am sorry to Adnan Januzai.It was very unlike me and I can only say that frustration got the better of me.

— Sascha Riether (@saschariether) November 5, 2013

I also want to apologise to my teammates, fans and everyone at the Club, for the ban incurred following Saturday's match

— Sascha Riether (@saschariether) November 5, 2013

I will accept the consequences of my actions, and hope to put it behind me when I return.

— Sascha Riether (@saschariether) November 5, 2013

I want the fans to know that I will be working hard to stay fit and will be ready to continue fighting for the Club as soon as I am able.SR

— Sascha Riether (@saschariether) November 5, 2013

There had been earlier reports that Riether could escape punishment for the incident thanks to a precedent set when Chelsea's Fernando Torres avoided sanction for scratching Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen's face back in September.

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