Di Canio will not play for Sheffield Wednesday again until at least Boxing Day after the eight-game suspension for assaulting referee Paul Alcock was added to the three-game ban he already faced for his red card against Arsenal last month.

Di Canio (left) is restrained by team-mates

However, Alcock was joined by Premier League referees' officer Philip Don and several other top-flight officials in criticising what they perceived as a soft punishment.

Alcock said: "I'm concerned that the message being sent out by the FA will be interpreted as being lenient by every referee in this country."

The FA's director of public affairs, David Davies, responded by declaring in a statement: "Referees should be in no doubt of the message that came from yesterday's commission.

"It couldn't have been more supportive of them and of all match officials. Anybody who is critical clearly isn't aware of the full statement that was made.

"The commission was unanimous in urging the FA's disciplinary committee at its next meeting to make clear that anybody who manhandles a match official in future will face the most severe punishment."

Previously, players such as Emmanuel Petit and David Batty have been given a one-match ban for laying hands on referees during matches, even if those officials were not pushed to the ground as Alcock was at Hillsborough.

While the FA statement is unlikely to silence the specific criticism of the punishment handed out to Di Canio, with some in the game having called for a six-month ban, it may at least serve notice of the action to be taken against any future offenders.