Raheem Sterling ‘will NOT face further FA action for allegedly throwing a missile back into the crowd’ during Chelsea’s chaotic 4-1 draw with Tottenham
- The striker appeared to throw a discarded rocket from home fans back into the stands
- Rockets were thrown from the stands after Chelsea scored their opening goal
- Why We Should Be Excited About Cole Palmer – Listen to It’s All Coming Up here
Raheem Sterling has reportedly been told he will face no further action from the FA after he appeared to throw a rocket back into the crowd during Chelsea’s 4-1 win over Tottenham on Monday night.
Mail Sport exclusively revealed on Thursday that the governing body would open an investigation into his conduct after footage of the incident was shared via the west London club’s TikTok account.
But after watching the images, according to the Evening StandardIt is believed the FA will not lay charges against the attacker over the alleged incident.
The twist came just seconds after Cole Palmer had leveled the Blues from the penalty spot in the first half following Cristian Romero’s red card for a nasty lunge on Enzo Fernandez.
Palmer celebrated by putting his finger to his lips in front of the Spurs fans, and was congratulated by several of his teammates, including Sterling.
Raheem Sterling is unlikely to be charged by the FA for allegedly throwing a missile
The striker appeared to throw a missile at teammate Cole Palmer and the Chelsea players who were celebrating their opening goal
Video from the pitch shows an object launched from the home side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, hitting Palmer on the leg.
As the players break away to head back for the restart, Sterling appears to duck and throw the item back into the crowd before returning to his own half.
The incident went unnoticed by officials at the time, but an FA source told Mail Sport it was reviewed, with the organizers reaching a verdict less than 48 hours later.
Sterling might have been equally concerned if the organizers had found him guilty of the alleged offence, which previously saw a number of bans handed out to Premier League stars in response to objects thrown from the crowd.
Richarlison was banned by the FA for throwing a light fire into the crowd after scoring for Everton against Chelsea in May 2022, with his one-match ban delaying his subsequent debut for Tottenham.
Chelsea icon Didier Drogba was handed a three-match ban in 2008 for throwing a coin at Burnley fans during their Carabao Cup defeat on penalties.
And former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was also handed a three-match ban – and given a formal police warning – after throwing a £1 coin at Arsenal fans during an FA Cup match at Highbury in 2002.
Chelsea eventually ended up with the draw after Tottenham were down to nine men at home
Sterling’s manager Mauricio Pochettino will be happy to retain the services of the striker, who has been one of the standout performers for the Blues in a tough but inconsistent season.
But one coach less convinced by the ex-Manchester City man’s form is England boss Gareth Southgate, who once again passed over the former squad’s selection for the next wave of international ties.
Speaking after announcing his squad for matches against Malta and North Macedonia, Southgate dismissed speculation that a rift would be the cause of Sterling’s absence, instead highlighting the quality of his options.
“The door is 100 percent open, not just for Raheem, but for other players who are not in this squad,” Southgate said. ‘We don’t need to know anything about his quality, his personality. He is a crucial part of the journey we have been on.”