Raheem Sterling Avoids FA Charge, Jonjo Shelvey Charged with Violent Conduct

Liverpool's Raheem Sterling will not be charged by the Football Association for slapping Swansea City's Federico Fernandez during Monday night's 4-1 win for the Reds, but Swans' Jonjo Shelvey will receive a violent conduct charge for his elbow on Emre Can. Shelvey has been given a four-game ban.

Continue for updates. 

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Shelvey Banned Four Games

Wednesday, Dec. 31

Sky Sports provides an update on Sterling's ban:

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Sterling Not Charged by FA, Shelvey Charged for Elbow

Tuesday, Dec. 30

The Telegraph's Chris Bascombe reported the news on Sterling:

Sky Sports learned of Shelvey's charge:

The charge carries a suspension of three matches and is dependent on the officials' report. If no members of the officiating crew saw the incident take place, the FA can retroactively punish players with the charge.

According to Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville (h/t Daily Mail's Luke Augustus), Sterling's slap was spotted by the officials, who decided not to punish him during the match. As a result, a retroactive ban is not possible:

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He's [Sterling] a lucky boy. (Papiss) Cisse's been charged retrospectively today. I think the referee and the linesman have both seen this and Howard Webb said a few weeks ago that this is a sending off. Cisse will get a three-game ban for violent conduct but how are the referee and linesman going to give credibility where both can say they haven't seen these two incidents.

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Shelvey wasn't as lucky, and he took to Twitter after the match to explain what happened on the pitch, denying the elbow was deliberate:

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Just wanna say didn't intentionally elbow emre can was just trying to get my arm across to get round him and it's come off as I'm trying to

— Jonjo Shelvey (@shelveyJ) December 29, 2014"

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers also didn't think Shelvey's action was as severe as some made it out to be, and, via ESPN FC's Richard Jolly, he believed the official made the right decision in both situations:

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I have seen the two [incidents]. Jonjo has flung his arm out and caught Emre on the side of his head.

Young Raheem's incident, the centre-half has slapped him on the side of the head and he has put his hand up and slapped him on the side of the head.

I think the referee has called both right and got on with the game.

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Rodgers' plea had no impact on the FA, however, as it has now decided to charge Shelvey regardless. Fans of Swansea will cry foul because Sterling got away with a similar act, and the Daily Mirror's Alex Richards even went as far as to suggest there is a double standard in play:

But under current FA regulations, a player cannot be punished retroactively if the incident was dealt with during the match.

It's of little consolation for Shelvey, but until the rules change, these incidents will likely keep occurring.