QPR captain Barton charged with violent conduct

Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton was charged on Monday with two counts of violent conduct during the Premier League finale at Manchester City, and could be facing a 10-match ban at the start of next season.

The midfielder was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez, and then kicked Sergio Aguero and tried to headbutt Vincent Kompany before being escorted off the pitch by his teammates.

"As Barton had already been dismissed, both of these incidents fell outside of the jurisdiction of the referee," the FA said.

Barton will receive an automatic four-match ban as it was his second dismissal of the season, and could receive three-match suspensions for each of the violent conduct charges.

On top of that, the FA's regulatory panel will have discretionary powers to increase the length of the suspension if the charges are found to be proven.

"Things happen on the pitch, in the heat of battle sometimes. Not how we always plan them to happen," Barton wrote on Twitter. "Still don't think it is a sending off. The head was never gone at any stage, once I'd been sent off, one of our players suggested I should try to take 1 of theirs with me ... Never worked but god loves a trier."

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes said Barton's future would be reviewed but that the 29-year-old player had been an integral part of the club staying in the Premier League.

"There are experienced people who will come back to me and we'll review the whole situation," Fernandes told the BBC.