Cardiff City defender Krystian Bielik has been charged with misconduct by the Football Association, adding to a turbulent few weeks for the former Arsenal youngster.
The charge comes amid growing scrutiny of conduct across English football this season, Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri was charged for allegedly spitting at Leeds fans, while Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis was charged over behaviour near the City Ground tunnel after a defeat to Fulham.
Bielik’s case had also been the subject of a separate criminal investigation, which has now concluded.
A Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary spokesperson said the matter was resolved through an out-of-court disposal agreed by all parties, with an apology from the player, and confirmed no further action would follow. The FA’s disciplinary case, however, remains live.
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The incident occurred during Cardiff’s 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth on Saturday, 5 September, when Bielik confronted a young Pompey fan while retrieving the ball in front of the South Stand at Fratton Park.
The FA places the flashpoint around the 71st minute, though some reports have cited the 72nd.
Footage circulating on social media appeared to show the 28-year-old grabbing the youngster, who had slapped him by the throat; the fan was ejected by stewards, though referee Ben Speedie took no action at the time.
Accounts diverged: Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy said Bielik “got slapped in the face,” while several Portsmouth fans gestured that they believed he’d been grabbed by the throat.
Another supporter threw a ball at Cardiff’s Perry Ng in the aftermath and was also ejected, with Portsmouth boss John Mousinho later apologising to Cardiff’s players.
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With the police matter closed, attention turns to the FA, which alleges Bielik acted improperly around the 71st minute. He has until Friday, 25 September to respond.
Krystian Bielik joined Arsenal from Legia Warsaw in January 2015 as a 17-year-old, spending four and a half years at the club, a spell he later summed up as joining “at 17 so I was only a kid” and leaving “as a man.”
Despite the long stay, he made just two first-team appearances and never played in the Premier League for Arsenal, with loans at Birmingham City, Walsall and Charlton Athletic shaping his development instead.
He left for Derby County in a deal worth up to £10 million in August 2019, before spells at Birmingham City and West Brom preceded his move to Cardiff in August 2026.