Everton have been fined £26,600 by Uefa after a fan hit out at the Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes during their Europa League tie last month and in a further blow to the club, who have still to appoint a new manager since sacking Ronald Koeman, their striker Oumar Niasse will serve a two-match ban after his appeal against a diving charge was rejected by the Football Association.
The Senegalese becomes the first Premier League player to be hit with a retrospective suspension for simulation under the new law that kicked in at the start of this season.
Niasse was charged on Tuesday by the FA after he won a controversial penalty in Saturday’s 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace. The ban means Niasse, Everton’s top-scorer, will miss the league games at Southampton on Sunday and at home against West Ham three days later.
In their Europa League tie at Goodison Park an Everton supporter, who was holding a child with one arm, appeared to try to strike Lopes in front of the Howard Kendall Gwladys Street End. The incident happened after the Toffees defender Ashley Williams barged into Lopes midway through the second half.
Everton were charged for “aggressions by supporters against players” and the Uefa control, ethics and disciplinary body announced on Wednesday that the club have been fined €30,000.
The Premier League club banned the supporter following the incident on 19 October, during Everton’s 2-1 defeat. Merseyside Police launched an investigation and interviewed a 30-year-old man on suspicion of assault and affray before he was released under investigation.
The Everton fan, whose young child was sucking a dummy, appeared to push Lopes’s head and seemed to aim a punch in the direction of the keeper and the defender Mouctar Diakhaby. Footage of the supporter’s actions went viral and received widespread condemnation.