Ex-Man Utd star charged by FA after being accused of spitting at Leeds fans following previous feuds

Hannibal was walking behind the goal at Turf Moor when the alleged spitting incident is claimed to have taken place - he appeared to react badly to something that was said, having been in thet area to pass a note to Clarets goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. The Tunisia international, who later came on for the final seven minutes, plus stoppage time, was the subject of a complaint by a Leeds fan to Lancashire Police. The FA then reviewed the incident, prior to launching an investigation and now charging Hannibal.

An FA spokesperson confirmed: "Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri has been charged with misconduct following their Premier League fixture against Leeds united on Saturday 18 October. It's alleged that the player acted in breach of the Laws of the Game and/or in an improper manner and/or used abusive and/or indecent behaviour by spitting at or in the direction of Leeds United supporters around the 67th minute. Hannibal Mejbri has until Friday 28 November to provide a response."

It isn't Hannibal's first run-in with Leeds fans. Influenced by his Manchester United past – the player spent a total of five years with the Old Trafford club after joining from Monaco as a teenager and was targeted with derogatory chanting likening his hair to that of Simpsons character Sideshow Bob during an FA Youth Cup tie in 2020 – he appeared to taunt Leeds supporters during a Championship fixture, shortly after signing permanently with Burnley in 2024. Last month's incident has seen an escalation of that ongoing feud that has now lasted several years.

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The standard suspension in England for a player deemed guilty of a spitting offence is six games. That sanction was famously issued to Manchester United defender Jonny Evans over an incident during a clash with Newcastle in march 2015, while Magpie striker Papiss Cisse was slapped with a seven-game ban due to a previous suspension. Hannibal could get a longer ban, with The Times reporting that it is considered a "non-standard" incident that is more complex than usual. He could, however, avoid a harsher punishment by quickly responding, accepting the charge and apologising. If Hannibal contests the charge, he would be summoned to a hearing to give evidence and an independent regulatory commission would decide what sanction to issue if he is found guilty.

Hannibal has 17 days to respond to the FA charge, but it might be in his best interest to give his side of the story as soon as possible. Premier League football is currently paused and Burnley are not back in action until hosting Chelsea at Turf Moor on November 22.

Hannibal has joined up with Tunisia's squad for international friendlies over the course of the next week against Mauritania, Jordan and Brazil. The Eagles of Carthage have qualified for next summer's World Cup, making it a third appearance in a row for them after missing out in both 2010 and 2014.

Hannibal being banned might not actually be too much of a blow for Burnley. Aside from a stoppage time game-winning assist off the bench against Wolves the week after facing Leeds, his impact this season has been minimal. The 22-year-old hasn’t started a Premier League game since being substituted 65 minutes into Burnley’s 3-2 loss against Manchester United, while that aforementioned assist is his sole goal involvement across 10 league appearances spanning 290 minutes.

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