The English Football Association (FA) has been unsuccessful in its bid to lengthen Kieran Trippier’s suspension, signifying that the Atletico Madrid defender is not likely to be sidelined for any additional games.

Trippier was accused of improper conduct by the FA in May 2020 for violating their wagering rules, when he moved from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid.

The FA subsequently imposed a 10-week suspension on the right-back, ruling that he had breached FA Rule E8(1)(b), which forbids players from divulging any information about potential transfers.

The suspension took effect on December 21, 2020, and the defender was also levied a £70,000 (€77,391/$95,479) fine.

In January of this year, the suspension was shortened to four weeks, but the financial penalty remained in place.

The hearing, which the player requested, unveiled the reasons behind the accusations. It indicated that Trippier had informed a friend, who had mentioned wagering on his next club, to “put all your money on” Atletico Madrid.

Three other companions of Trippier were also notified of the transfer and placed bets on the deal. One of them placed a total of £912.75 across nine separate wagers, with odds ranging from 5/6 to 1/6.

While FIFA had previously made the decision to implement the FA’s prohibition worldwide, it would have meant that Trippier would be prohibited from competing for Atlético Madrid, even though Spanish football is not under the FA’s authority.

Nevertheless, Atlético Madrid contested this aspect of the prohibition, arguing that it was only valid in England.

Consequently, the worldwide prohibition was suspended on January 2, signifying that Trippier could compete for the club while his appeal was in progress. By that time, he had already missed three matches.

However, since the FA’s ruling declared that the defender was prohibited from December 21, 2020, to February 28, 2021, he was effectively still serving his punishment, but permitted to play in Spain.

Therefore, the FA appealed to “correct” the dates established by the independent disciplinary panel.

They sought to see the prohibition enforced either when FIFA authorized the prohibition to be enforced globally again, or when Trippier returned to an English club, whichever occurred first.

However, the panel rejected this request, stating that only FIFA could determine whether the prohibition should be enforced globally.

The appeal panel explained that the prohibition applied to football and football-related activities in England, or to clubs under the FA’s authority, including the England national team.

“Our ruling does not prevent [the player] from participating in football and football-related activities at clubs outside the FA’s authority; nor do we possess the power to do so,” it added.

As a result, it was only logical that the Football Association sought direction from FIFA to have the prohibition imposed on Trippier enforced worldwide.

The FA emphasized that the dates of the suspension are not something that can be altered at will.

“In our opinion, the commencement date of the suspension, as well as the 10-week duration, are a crucial aspect of our decision,” the panel clarified.

The panel acknowledged that Trippier would effectively avoid a majority of the suspension, a “disappointing outcome,” but emphasized that this did not imply that the terms could be adjusted. The panel added that making such alterations “could result in unjust outcomes.”

Moreover, the panel highlighted that Trippier was not escaping any consequences, as the suspension still “negatively impacts” Trippier’s transfer possibilities, and due to this, the ruling has already had a “substantial punitive effect.”

Lastly, the panel stated that postponing the decision, as it was unclear when FIFA would ultimately determine whether the suspension could be enforced globally, could “generate immense pressure and worry.”

Trippier has participated in 25 matches for England, including all of England’s matches at the 2018 World Cup.

He joined Tottenham from Burnley in 2015, where he made 114 appearances, including the 2019 Champions League final, before transferring to Spain in 2019, where he has made 52 appearances for Atlético Madrid thus far.

Sign up for the iGaming Newsletter