Joey Barton's moment of madness in the final game of the Premier League has cost him dearly.
The Premier League banned the temperamental midfielder for 12 matches and handed a massive $117,000 fine, which puts the troubled midfielder's future with Queens Park Rangers in serious doubt.
The FA found Barton guilty on two charges of violent conduct and suspended him for a further eight games. He was already given a four-match ban for being sent off in the match.
The incident happened in the early part of the second half, when Man City striker Carlos Tevez went down after being struck by Barton. The referee gave Barton a red card for the offense, but the midfielder, instead of walking away, went on to create more chaos.
Barton first kicked at Sergio Aguero first before trying to head-butt Vincent Kompany. He had to be taken off the field by City player Micah Richards.
After the match, Barton tweeted he had tried to get a City player sent off with him, saying "a team-mate suggested I should try to take one of theirs with me."
"There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behavior tarnishes the image of football in the country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe," the regulatory commission chairman said.
Barton pleaded guilty to kicking Aguero, but remained firm on the charge involving Kompany, saying he wasn't guilty.
The FA said in a statement: "Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Aguero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent regulatory commission, however, found this second charge proved."
Players Union head Gordon Taylor felt Barton was his own worst enemy. "I can't really defend such behavior," Taylor told Talksport. "His reputation will go in front of him, and it is extremely disappointing. I just feel he is his own worst enemy. We are back to square one.
"I'm not saying I won't support him, because he does need that help, but it's recurring and he's getting to the later stages of his career and it does get very exasperating and frustrating."
QPR, who narrowly escaped relegation despite going down to City in the final day of the season, are considering leaving out the midfielder from their 25-man squad for next year's Premier League campaign with the 29-year old also likely to be stripped off his captaincy.
Barton was previously suspended for 12 matches, six of them suspended, for attacking team-mate Ousmane Dabo in the training ground during his time with Manchester City.
