The SFA are looking into a charge of Brutality against Steven MacLean.
The Hearts striker made a grab for Eboue Kouassi’s crown jewels midway through Sunday’s Betfred Cup semi-final at Murrayfield and escaped punishment from Willie Collum.
Social media quickly relayed the incident and while on one hand the novelty value is amusing it was also a serious attack on a professional athlete.
Afterwards MacLean described it as a bit of a laugh but that level of humour should be confined to the Hearts training ground and locker room high jinks between consenting adults.
Today the BBC reports:
The Scottish FA compliance officer is likely to review footage of the incident during Hearts’ 3-0 League Cup semi-final defeat on Sunday.
An act directed towards the private parts of a player on the field is now being considered an act of “brutality”.
If there is any justice MacLean will be offered a two match suspension which will leave Hearts with the option to make an appeal in a bid to free up the veteran striker to face Hibs on Wednesday night.
Any appeal would be heard this week which if unsuccessful would rule MacLean out of Saturday’s match away to Celtic.
With Steven Naismith facing a lengthy absence due to a sore knee and Uche Ikpeazu ruled out until the new year it seems that Hearts over physical approach and the decision to sell Kyle Lafferty is going to prove costly.
