Keane red card upheld to Toffees' surprise | OneFootball

Everton have said they are “surprised and disappointed” after their appeal against Michael Keane’s red card was dismissed by a Football Association panel.

The Premier League club stated on Friday that they believe Keane’s three-match suspension “is clearly excessive” following the decision. The 32-year-old centre-back was sent off during Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers after a VAR review found him guilty of pulling the hair of forward Tolu Arokodare.

As a result, Keane will miss Everton’s FA Cup third-round tie against Sunderland this weekend, as well as league fixtures versus Aston Villa and Leeds United.

Speaking shortly after the club’s statement was released, Everton manager David Moyes he was “angry” with the three-man FA panel that upheld the ban, and said he felt “embarrassed” for VAR after on-field referee Tom Kirk was sent to the monitor to review the incident.

Moyes also referenced a separate flashpoint during Thursday’s Premier League match between Arsenal and Liverpool, in which Gabriel Martinelli attempted to push injured defender Conor Bradley off the pitch.

“Hugely disappointed. Hugely surprised. I'm probably more angry with the panel who thought that was the case. I have to question the three. I know who the three are and I'm amazed they in some way didn't overturn it,” Moyes said.

“We saw last night that it's OK to throw a ball at somebody, it's OK to push and pick up someone with a bad injury. But that a little pull of someone's hair, accidentally, means a three-game ban is quite extraordinary for me.”

Addressing the severity of the punishment, Moyes added: “Three games for what shouldn't have been any games. I'm more embarrassed for whoever was on VAR. This is a young referee doing only his third or fourth game and VAR gave him a terrible decision. They shouldn't have got involved at all.

“Embarrassed for them, looking to find the smallest things. I don't think anybody would have paid any interest in it anyway [if not picked up].”