Tomas Soucek red card overturned as West Ham successfully appeal against Mike Dean’s call
The midfielder will not be banned after his clash with Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic which referee Mike Dean deemed violent conduct despite several checks of the replay on his pitch-side monitor
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West Ham have successfully appealed against midfielder Tomas Soucek's controversial red card against Fulham on Saturday.
Soucek was sent off following an altercation with Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic in which his elbow appeared to accidentally catch his opponent's face. The referee, Mike Dean, was recommended by his Video Assistant Referee to check replays of the incident on a pitch-side monitor, and concluded that Soucek had deliberately lashed out at Mitrovic in a case of violent conduct.
Soucek would have been banned for three games but that suspension has now been lifted on appeal, and he will be available for the Hammers' trip to Manchester United in the FA Cup on Tuesday evening.
Dean was heavily criticised for the decision to send off the Czech international, with most pundits suggesting he was far too harsh in his judgement. Afterwards the West Ham manager David Moyes said he was "embarrassed" for the experienced referee, who has now seen two red cards overturned in successive matches following a harsh call on Southampton's Jan Bednarek in their 9-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Dean has now withdrawn from refereeing duties this weekend follow personal abuse and death threats to his family in the aftermath of the incident.
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