Nemanja Matic 2-Match Ban for Chelsea Shows Why FA Disciplinary Agenda Is Wrong

It's been an eventful week or so at Chelsea—one the club will want to forget in a hurry.

Only they can't, as Nemanja Matic's two-game ban for violent conduct after he shoved Burnley's Ashley Barnes is going to be a constant reminder until he is back in domestic action against Southampton on March 15.

Chelsea released a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday when it was confirmed Matic's automatic three-match ban would be reduced by just one game following his red card in Saturday's 1-1 draw.

"The Chelsea Football Club Board is extremely disappointed and frustrated that the FA Regulatory Commission has today decided not to reduce Nemanja Matic's suspension to the maximum extent permitted under FA rules," the statement read.

It continued: "There has been universal condemnation of the reckless challenge made by Ashley Barnes on Matic and it is the club's view that he has been unjustly punished with a two-match ban for his reaction to a career-threatening tackle.

"It is Chelsea's opinion that referees and the football authorities must do more to protect players at all levels of the game from dangerous challenges. This decision also clearly demonstrates a need for consistency and fairness in the disciplinary process."

Had Barnes received retrospective punishment for his dreadful challenge, Chelsea would have been in no position to appeal Matic's own suspension.

The FA would have dealt with the issue sufficiently, reinforcing the fact Matic shouldn't have taken the law into his own hands when he pursued the Burnley striker, pushing him to the ground.

It would have sent out the right message, that players are protected and those who break the rules will be punished.

Instead, the FA has done nothing, letting Barnes walk free without a case to answer.

The injustice here is that the victim of such a heinous act is being treated like the perpetrator.

Matic must now be wishing he did a lot more than shove Barnes to the ground as the FA has let him down.

Why shouldn't he kick an opponent the next time a violent tackle threatens his career?

If we're talking precedent, he would be more than justified.

It was embarrassing enough that Barnes didn't receive any repercussions for a tackle that could have resulted in Matic missing far more than the two games he will.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

But the FA's reasoning to maintain Matic's suspension has plummeted things into even more of a farce.

"The violent response of Mr. Matic to the nature of the tackle cannot be condoned and does not vindicate his subsequent actions," Roger Burden, Chairman of the FA's Regulatory Commission, said (per The Telegraph).

But what of Barnes? By that measure, has the FA's refusal to throw the book at him vindicated his actions? That he did nothing wrong?

Put under the microscope, the disciplinary process of English football has failed.

If referee Martin Atkinson had seen Barnes' tackle, he would have sent him off. There can be no doubt about that given the nature of it, yet the Burnley man remained on the pitch to win the corner from which his team scored to equalise.

There should have been retrospective action, but the FA's sole concern here has been to protect the integrity of a referee who struggled to officiate a game properly.

Julian Finney/Getty Images

As a result, a player almost broke his leg and will now miss the biggest game of the season so far in the Capital One Cup final.

What about Matic?

Chelsea should be applauded for the way they have responded to the whole fiasco. The club hasn't backed down on what is a serious issue in football.

Even before Matic, there has been a long list of incidents when players have been let off the hook after horror tackles.

It needs to change, the FA needs to get with the times.

Change will only happen on the back of strong and effective protest, which Chelsea's statement represents.

Until the FA is willing to deal with the problem, the tragedy is that we can expect even stronger tackles to be flying in up and down the country.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes