Liverpool: Roberto Firmino won’t face punishment from the F.A

The Football Association have announced they will not be punishing Liverpool’s, Roberto Firmino over the incident with Everton’s, Mason Holgate during the FA Cup clash back in January at Anfield.

Liverpool ultimately won the tie 2-1, but the incident between the two brought about allegations Firmino used racial slur towards Holgate, which has proven to be a false claim.  Statements were taken from 12 different players during the investigation.

The altercation between Firmino and Holgate took place midway through the first half of the match, after Holgate shoved Firmino over the advertising boards, and into the bottom row of Anfield’s main stand.

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At first glance, the shove looked quite blatant and unnecessary, which provoked Firmino to approach Holgate, and exchange some heated words.  Referee Bobby Madley was forced to interject and prevent tempers from flaring further.

Holgate claimed Firmino used a discriminatory term directed at him, but a thorough investigation from the F.A. has concluded that was not the case.  Holgate’s speculation was justifiable, though, considering the fact that Firmino was speaking in Portuguese.

The F.A. released the following statement on Wednesday morning (via BBC Sport):

"We are completely satisfied that the allegation was made in absolute good faith by Holgate and that there is no suggestion of this being an intentionally false or malicious allegation.We appreciate that this has been a difficult process for both parties, and would like to express our thanks to Mason Holgate and Roberto Firmino as well as both clubs for their assistance, professionalism and full co-operation during this investigation."

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After hearing the verdict from the F.A, Firmino responded:

"As someone who has experienced racist abuse during my life, I know how damaging and hurtful it can be.  I would like to place on record, for the avoidance of any doubt, I did not say the word, or a variation of the word, that was claimed and subsequently reported in the media.I did not use any language that referenced race. I did not – and would never – reference a person’s skin color or culture, by means of insult, during a dispute or an argument."

Additionally, Liverpool Football Club released an official statement on the F.A’s decision, backing their #9:

"Roberto has co-operated fully with the process and shown a willingness to engage and assist throughout, with the only objective being to discover the truth of what happened.We are satisfied that the outcome of the process has exonerated the player of using any racist or discriminatory language."

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No sputters in form for the in-form Firmino

The news that Firmino’s not facing any disciplinary action will certainly be warmly welcomed by Liverpool fans. The Brazilian has been on an absolute tear for the Reds this season and is at the tip of the spear in the three-pronged attacking line comprised of him, Sadio Mane, and Mohamed Salah.

Thus far, Firmino has tallied 21 goals and 12 assists, from 37 appearances across all competitions this season.  He’s scored 4 goals and provided 3 assists from Liverpool’s last 6 matches, and has been in sensational form in recent weeks.

Thankfully for Liverpool, they won’t be missing him for disciplinary reasons, which might’ve proven to be quite costly.