Rio Ferdinand And Mario Balotelli Will Not Face FA Disciplinary Action Following Wembley Fracas

The FA will not be taking disciplinary action against Rio Ferdinand or Mario Balotelli following the fracas after the final whistle of the FA Cup semi-final between Manchester City and Manchester United, The Guardian reports.

The two players became embroiled in a spat on the pitch at Wembley, after Manchester United players were furious with Balotelli for provoking rival supporters while pointing to his badge.

Anderson and Ferdinand confronted the Italian before the City first-team coach, David Platt, and manager Roberto Mancini intervened.

Ferdinand later apologized for his behavior via his personal Twitter account, but also criticised Balotelli’s conduct: “At the final whistle you should go to your own fans and enjoy it, not opposing fans,” he wrote.

Referee Mike Dean mentioned the incident in his report, leading the FA to investigate, but after analyzing the footage, they have decided it was not serious enough to warrant further action.

Meanwhile, United will be spared further disciplinary action after their dressing room was vandalized after the match, with an Old Trafford spokesman confirming that the club had offered to pay for the damages.

“We brought it to their attention on Saturday night,” the statement read. “We apologized and offered to pay. It was about three inches in diameter and was only surface damage and not a hole.”