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All professional football matches in Turkey have been suspended after Meler was punched in the face by Ankaragucu president Faruk Koca after a Turkish Super Lig game on Monday evening.
Arteta, meanwhile, served a touchline ban for Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday evening after receiving his third yellow card of the season for leaving the technical area to celebrate Declan Rice’s injury-time winner against Luton Town last Tuesday.
But Walton believes Premier League managers should be handed bigger deterrents – including points deductions – for failing to respect officials.
‘Officials need to feel supported at a time like this,’ Walton wrote in a column for The Times.
‘Then, maybe the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta will think twice next time they rush to harangue an official or question his impartiality after the game and incite pile-ons.
‘However, words and statements only get you so far. The real truth is that we need to be much harsher in terms of the punishments we dish out. Only then might we see some real change.
‘I look at Arteta serving a touchline ban the other day – all he has to do is sit up in the stands instead, shaking hands with everyone. Is that enough of a punishment? I don’t think it is.
‘We need longer bans, points deductions, managers should not be allowed to come to the stadium on match days.
‘These sorts of deterrents send a message, that any form of abuse to officials is wrong and will not be tolerated.’
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