Jhon Duran handed three-match ban after FA rejects Aston Villa appeal

Jhon Duran was shown the red card for stepping on defender Fabian Schar in Villa’s 3-0 defeat to Newcastle on Boxing Day. The club attempted to get his sanction overturned by appealing to the Football Association (FA), however, the FA’s decision to uphold the punishment means that the 21-year-old Colombian will now serve a three-match suspension.
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery strongly criticised the referee's decision in the aftermath of the game. “Wow, it’s hard to accept,” Emery said in a post-match interview. “Because the foot is not clear if it’s touching. Three matches… wow OK. Maybe because it’s John Duran. We are working a lot with him to teach him always the good way and he is doing this effort.”
Senior members of the Birmingham club have also spoken out against the FA's decision. Director of football operations Damien Vidagany was one of them. “Three matches for Jhon Duran. You know what? The most damaged here is not Villa. Is the credibility of the ones that made this decision. We are going to keep fighting, nothing will destroy us and we will overcome all these unfair decisions. And we will behave like gentlemen," Vidagany wrote on X -formerly known as Twitter.
Duran will miss out on Aston Villa's upcoming Premier League fixtures against Brighton and Leicester, before completing his ban during their FA Cup third-round tie against West Ham. The Colombia international has 12 goals in 25 appearances for the club this season.