Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa has voiced his frustration after Conor Hourihane avoided a violent conduct charge from the FA.
The Irish midfielder was amongst several Leeds and Villa players involved in a bust-up following Mateusz Klich’s controversial opener on Sunday.
The Polish international continued to play on while Villa striker Jonathan Kodja remained down, slotting the ball past Jed Steer in the 73rd minute before Bielsa allowed Dean Smith’s side to equalise immediately after the restart.
Villa wide man Anwar El Ghazi was then sent off following Klich’s goal after being adjudged by referee Stuart Atwell to have struck United striker Patrick Bamford in the face.
El Ghazi’s three-match suspension has since been rescinded and the FA have handed Bamford a two-game ban for his part in the incident.
However, Leeds boss Bielsa, talking ahead of the final round of Championship fixtures, was unhappy in his pre-match press conference with Villa midfielder Hourihane.
The 28-year-old appeared to punch Klich in the stomach following the opening goal, however, the FA ruled that Hourihane’s actions were not deemed to be worthy of a violent conduct charge, much to the disappointment of Leeds boss Bielsa.
Talking to the media, cited by Yorkshire Evening Post’s chief football writer, Phil Hay, Bielsa said:
If you punch someone and it’s not strong, it’s not aggression. If you punch someone and it’s strong, it’s aggression. That’s the conclusion you have to draw.
What we can’t say is ‘this is my interpretation and you have a different one’ because if we say that then we’re all right and nothing changes. Nobody changes.
The two teams may still meet in the Championship play-off final, and after Sunday’s fixture, a potential meeting will definitely have an added edge.
