UEFA Rejects Automatic Red Cards For Players Covering Mouths During Matches

UEFA has confirmed it will not introduce automatic red cards for players who cover their mouths while speaking to opponents in its competitions, despite a recent change to the Laws of the Game allowing organisers to do so.

The decision means the rule will not apply in the Champions League, Europa League or Conference League next season.

Naija News reports that the issue came under the spotlight in February when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni pulled his shirt over his mouth while speaking to Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr during a Champions League match.

The Argentine was initially accused of racist abuse and handed a provisional one-match suspension. However, after a UEFA investigation, Prestianni was found guilty of homophobic conduct and banned for six matches, with three of those suspended.

The law allowing players to be sent off for covering their mouths during confrontations was introduced at the request of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, who wanted a measure that would have “a deterrent effect” at the World Cup.

The amendment was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in April and made optional for competition organisers.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron became the first player dismissed under the rule during his country’s World Cup group match against Turkey. Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie was also sent off after a VAR review in his side’s last-16 defeat to co-hosts Mexico.

Despite the controversy surrounding the Prestianni incident in its own premier club competition, UEFA has decided against adopting the automatic dismissal rule.

Instead, Europe’s governing body said referees should judge each incident on its own merits and decide whether a yellow card is appropriate if covering the mouth is “an attempt to conceal communication as an act of unsporting behaviour”.

It added: “This is obviously without prejudice to any disciplinary investigation or proceedings that may follow as a consequence of, or in connection with, such behaviour.”

The law has attracted criticism from players, coaches and supporters, with concerns it assumes guilt before innocence and could be exploited to have opponents sent off even when no abusive language has been used.

It also created uncertainty during the World Cup after England midfielder Jude Bellingham was not shown a red card when he covered his mouth while speaking to Ghana captain Jordan Ayew during a group-stage match.

UEFA has, however, confirmed it will adopt another optional law change by allowing VAR to review wrongly awarded corner kicks. So far, 22 corners have been overturned and changed to goal kicks during the World Cup.

The governing body has also decided against enforcing another optional rule that allows players to be sent off for leaving the field in protest at a referee’s decision.