Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli will face no further punishment for a studs-up challenge on Arsenal's Alex Song. The foul was not punished during Sunday's 1-0 loss at Arsenal, but retrospective action cannot be taken because at least one of the match officials witnessed the incident, the English Football Association said Tuesday. He would have faced a three-match ban if he had been found guilty of violent conduct and a further three-match ban because it would have counted as his fourth sending off of the season. Balotelli was sent off later in Sunday's match for a second foul on Bacary Sagna, leaving him with just a three-match ban. Of the Song incident, the FA said sanctions are normally imposed retrospectively for off-the-ball incidents “where there was no contest for possession and could not be deemed to be re-refereeing an incident. “In agreement with FIFA, this is how ‘not seen' incidents are dealt with retrospectively in England,” the FA added in a statement. “It is a policy that is agreed with all football stakeholders.”
