Richarlison charged by FA for throwing flare into Everton crowd

Everton forward Richarlison has been charged by the Football Association for throwing a flare into the stands during his team's crucial victory over Chelsea at Goodison Park.

The Brazilian hurled the lit missile, thrown onto the pitch by supporters, back into the crowd as part of his celebrations following his second-half goal. Everton went on to win the match 1-0, securing three vital points towards their successful fight to avoid Premier League relegation.  

“Richarlison de Andrade has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3,” confirmed a statement from the Football Association. “It is alleged the forward’s conduct in the 46th minute of the fixture was improper. He has until Wednesday 8 June 2022 to provide a response."

Everton’s win on May 1 came when Frank Lampard’s team were in the bottom three but their win helped gain ground on their rivals and they eventually stayed up on the final week of the campaign at the expense of Burnley. Richarlison's goal and celebrations came just after half-time at the Gwladys Street End of the stadium.

"As far as we are concerned, Richarlison was attempting to throw it out of the ground," said an Everton spokesperson about the incident to the BBC at the time.

Pyrotechnics are banned from football stadiums in England but have been regularly brought into arenas this season. In February, Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott was contacted by the FA after handling a red flare following the side's Carabao Cup victory at Wembley.

Speaking directly after the Richarlison incident, Keith Hackett, the former head of English referees, remarked the forward deserved to be sent off and banned. “It was absolutely a red card, it comes under the banner of violent conduct,” he said. “I’d be surprised if