FA's Leeds United missile investigation after Hannibal Mejbri allegations concludes
Missiles allegedly thrown in Hannibal Mejbri’s direction during Leeds United’s Burnley loss were investigated, but the Whites will not face any charge or sanction. The former Manchester United midfielder was the centre of attention during the September 14 game and was not shy in goading home supporters after his substitution.
Mejbri had several altercations with United players during the match, including an aggressive reprimand of Manor Solomon and a tasty 50-50 with Ethan Ampadu. Those flashpoints engaged the supporters and the 21-year-old could not resist taking the bait when they directed abuse his way.
Things only escalated as Mejbri made his way around the perimeter of the pitch following his withdrawal. He held his arms out, reminded fans of the score, encouraged more noise from the Leeds faithful and then whipped the away crowd into a frenzy.
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It transpires The Football Association has since investigated Leeds around allegations missiles were launched at the Tunisian from the Jack Charlton Stand. Having been satisfied Leeds had taken appropriate measures before and after the game to deter such incidents, the FA did not deem it necessary to punish the club.
The process was flagged in the minutes of September’s Supporter Advisory Board (SAB) meeting. Jordan Owens, head of communications, asked for fans to report all such incidents in the future.
The minutes state: “JO (Owens) says the club are being investigated for missile throwing in the Burnley fixture, notably from the East Stand towards Hannibal Mejbri.
“JO asks for fans to report all incidents through the correct channels and also requests members of the SAB remind members of their groups/branches to reiterate the message alleged actions like these are illegal and not welcome at Elland Road.”
Safety messages and warnings were published by the club before the Burnley match, as they are before all games, while action taken, such as that at the SAB meeting, after the match also satisfied the FA.