FC Cincinnati's Matt Miazga sanctioned by MLS, to serve 3-game suspension and pay fine

FC Cincinnati center back Matt Miazga's season is over as a result of his actions following the Nov. 4 match against the New York Red Bulls.

Major League Soccer officials announced Wednesday that Miazga would be sanctioned for "misconduct" following the league's investigation into his behavior, which the Professional Soccer Referees Association (PSRA) reported Nov. 7. Miazga will be suspended three matches, with any remaining games to be served during the 2024 regular season, and will be fined an undisclosed amount.

As part of the sanctions, Miazga will also undergo a behavioral assessment through the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health (SABH) Program. He is required to comply with the recommendations of agreed-upon providers. According to an MLS news release, Miazga may petition for a reduction in suspension based on continued commitment and compliance with any recommended treatment programs. This discipline does not affect his status as the MLS Defender of the Year or his spot on the 2023 MLS Best XI.

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A source with knowledge of the disciplinary proceedings said FC Cincinnati appealed Miazga's case without success.

A league source with knowledge of the investigation told The Enquirer that video footage from Red Bull Arena was pertinent to the investigation's findings.

The sanctions bookended a three-plus-week saga. During that time, Miazga served a one-match suspension for yellow-card accumulation and the question of further discipline stemming from the Nov. 4 match loomed over him and the club.

Miazga will now miss the rest of the postseason for FC Cincinnati, which on Saturday hosts Columbus Crew in the Eastern Conference semifinal at TQL Stadium.

At least one of those suspended games will carry over to 2024, with only two potential games left in the season. If FCC is eliminated this weekend, Miazga will miss the first two regular-season matches next year.

PSRA, the referees' union, publicly touched off the weeks-long controversy with a Nov. 4 thread on X, formerly Twitter, in which the organization stated an unnamed player forcibly entered the referees' locker room following the Cincinnati-Red Bulls first-round MLS Cup playoff match. The post indicated Red Bull Arena stadium security needed to forcibly remove the player for acting in an "aggressive and hostile manner."

The PSRA called for MLS to take appropriate disciplinary action.

"This is an unacceptable and, as we recall, unprecedented violation of league policy and sporting integrity," the PSRA stated in its thread via X. "Violations like this will not be tolerated."

Enquirer sources later confirmed the player was Miazga. However, those same sources disputed PSRA's account of the incident. FC Cincinnati head coach Pat Noonan later spoke out against the allegations, calling them "fabricated."

Sources said Miazga went to the referees to discuss the second yellow card he received in the Nov. 4 match. At dispute was how aggressive Miazga was during that exchange.

A league source with direct knowledge of the events at Red Bull Arena took issue with the characterization of Miazga being hostile while being removed, telling The Enquirer that stadium security did not intervene. The source said an FC Cincinnati communications department employee helped move Miazga along from the area of the referees' locker room.

The PSRA and FC Cincinnati officials didn't immediately respond to The Enquirer's Wednesday request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Matt Miazga sanctioned following post-match behavior vs. Red Bulls