Ashley Barnes 'horror tackle': FA rules out action

Reaction was swift and vociferous to the FA's decision not to investigate Barnes' tackle on Nemanja Matic

Chelsea's Serbian midfielder Nemanja Matic leaves the pitch after receiving a red card during the English Premier Lea
(Image credit: AFP/Getty Images)

The news that the Football Association will take no action over Ashley Barnes's horrendous tackle on Nemanja Matic has stunned many within English football.

Barnes' wild lunge at the Chelsea midfielder during Burnley's 1-1 draw with the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday went unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson, and instead he dismissed Matic for his violent reaction to the tackle that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho described as "criminal".

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