Leeds United: Southampton striker Charlie Austin escapes FA punishment for referee comments despite Pontus Jansson ban
![Southampton striker Charlie Austin escapes FA ban.](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_104255064.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65&enable=upscale)
![Southampton striker Charlie Austin escapes FA ban.](/img/placeholder.png)
An angry Austin said Simon Hooper and his assistants had “cost us two points” after they disallowed a second-half strike from the forward for offside.
Hooper adjudged that Austin’s finish - converted while Southampton were leading 1-0 - had deflected into the net off defender Maya Yoshida, who was standing in an offside position.
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Hide AdSpeaking afterwards, Austin said: “It's ridiculous. They shouldn't be in the game. They get a point. We scored a perfectly good goal to make it 2-0 and the game is done and dusted. We won the game but the officials cost us two points.
![Leeds United's Pontus Jansson received a ban for similar comments about match officials.](https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/webimg/legacy_ash_104255065.jpg?crop=3:2,smart&width=640&quality=65)
![Leeds United's Pontus Jansson received a ban for similar comments about match officials.](/img/placeholder.png)
“They said it was offside. They said it hit Maya but it didn’t. I hit it twice. It hit me and bobbed up. That's why it’s done (Watford goalkeeper Ben) Foster. It's a joke.
“You go on about VAR this and VAR that, help the officials out. Clearly they need help.”
The Football Association has chosen not to charge Austin despite imposing a suspension on Jansson for the outburst which followed Leeds’ 1-1 draw with Brentford on October 6.
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Hide AdJansson criticised referee Jeremy Simpson after the Lancashire official awarded a controversial penalty and failed to send off Brentford’s Mose Odubajo for a foul similar to one which earned United’s Luke Ayling a red card in injury-time.
Jansson swore in a live television interview at full-time and said: “This was a robbery from the referee so it feels bad. Do you think I should be happy? No chance.”
The FA charged Jansson with misconduct and hit him with a one-match ban and a £1,000 fine, forcing him to miss the club’s 2-0 win over Ipswich Town on October 24.
Jansson pleaded guilty but Leeds vented frustration with what they saw as a disproportionate sanction, saying: “All parties agree that the language used by Pontus in his flash interview after the game was inappropriate.
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Hide Ad“However, we also feel a warning or a fine would have been a fairer outcome, especially given the mitigating circumstances which we outlined to the FA in a letter following the charge.”
The FA has been approached by the YEP for comment.