Charlie Adam to serve three-match ban for stamp on Giroud

Stoke’s Charlie Adam has been suspended for three matches after the FA rejected his appeal against a charge for violent conduct.

Adam was charged following an incident involving Olivier Giroud during Stoke’s 1-0 Premier League victory over Arsenal at the weekend when he appeared to stand on the Frenchman.

The incident was missed by referee Mike Jones, but a three-man panel reviewed video evidence of the incident and recommended the Stoke player be charged.

Stoke vowed to appeal the decision but an FA panel has upheld the charge, meaning Adam must serve a three-match suspension.

“Stoke City’s Charlie Adam will serve a three-match suspension with immediate effect after an FA charge for violent conduct was found proven,” a statement from the FA read.

“The incident with Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud, which was not seen by the match officials but caught on video, occurred during the fixture between the two sides at the Britannia Stadium on Saturday 1 March 2014.

“Adam had denied the charge, but it was found proven at an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing today [Wednesday 5 March 2014].”

The suspension means that Adam will miss the Premier League games against Norwich, West Ham and Aston Villa and chief executive Tony Scholes believes it will have an effect on the club.

“I am extremely disappointed for the effect that this is going to have on Charlie and on the football club,” he told the club’s official website.

“However, I am not surprised because clubs like ours very rarely succeed in appeals to the FA.

“We put together a strong defence which was based upon the facts, which were that Charlie needed to plant his foot, and in changing direction his eyes followed the ball at all times.

“How can anybody other than Charlie say what intent was there? How can the FA possibly justify this decision in the light of recent incidents which were far worse at other clubs, which have gone unpunished?”