Torres escapes four-match ban from FA over Vertonghen 'scratching' incident

Chelsea striker Fernando Torres will reportedly face no further punishment for scratching the face of Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen in their Premier League 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Although the English Football Association (FA) reviewed the incident, which was caught on TV, a match official had already seen the players collide which means, under FA rules, no retrospective action can be taken.

According to the BBC, the Spaniard, who will serve a one-match ban after being sent off in the 82nd minute for two bookable offences, had faced the prospect of his one-match ban being extended to four if he was found guilty of violent conduct.

The report mentioned that although action was only taken if a referee viewed the footage and judged whether a player should have been sent off under the old FA disciplinary system, the new system, which is undergoing a trial, sees a panel of three former referees reviewing an incident and deciding whether charges should be made.

However, the report also said that the FA cannot take further action if a match official witnesses part of the incident, under both the old and the new systems.