The irony is stark: Dele Alli — a black man — is found guilty of unintentional racism by the FA, an organisation without a single black board member.
In a week when Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling has highlighted the lack of black representation within English football’s governing body, Alli’s ban only amplifies the worrying absence of diversity on the FA board.
Of the 11 people on that board, just one is from a BAME background: Rupinder Bains, who holds a non-executive position.
There’s something discomfiting about that — although it’s only fair to point out that the Alli ruling was made by an independent commission comprised of two white men and one black.