Leeds United's Ezgjan Alioski cleared over childish, not discriminatory gesture at Burnley

Leeds United's Ezgjan Alioski has been cleared of making a discriminatory gesture in Leeds United's game at Burnley last month.

Midway through the second half of Leeds's 4-0 win a Burnley player complained that the North Macedonia international had made a discriminatory gesture towards Dwight McNeil, who did not see it. But after what the Football Association called "a thorough investigation", it was fund that no witness conclusively believed that was the case.

Alioski said he was making a mocking "cry baby" gesture to the winger after one of his team-mates had described McNeil that way.

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It would seem that a childish gesture was taken to be something much more serious than it was, or was intended to be. Alioski will therefore face no further action.

FLASHPOINT: Ezgjan Alioski is spoken to about a gesture at Turf Moor which the authorities have decided was misinterpretedFLASHPOINT: Ezgjan Alioski is spoken to about a gesture at Turf Moor which the authorities have decided was misinterpreted
FLASHPOINT: Ezgjan Alioski is spoken to about a gesture at Turf Moor which the authorities have decided was misinterpreted

The FA stressed it was "satisfied that the complaint was made in good faith and there is no suggestion of this being an intentionally false or malicious allegation."

Last week Austria striker Marko Arnautovic was given a one-game ban for insulting Alioski after scoring in a European Championship game. The former Stoke City forward was thought to have made reference to Alioski's Albanian heritage but his punishment made no reference to racism, which Arnautovic vehemently protested was not in his character.

Alioski is in the final few days of his Leeds contract but the Elland Road club are hoping to keep him next season after an impressive season mainly playing out of position at left-back.

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Meanwhile, 20-year-old centre-back Oliver Casey has left for newly-promoted Championship side Blackpool on a free transfer after three first-team appearances.

Casey first joined Leeds's academy as an under-11 player.

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