FA chairman David Bernstein has strongly defended Howard Webb's role in the Mario Balotelli violent conduct charge.
Webb chose to not issue Balotelli with a red card after the Manchester City striker stamped on Spurs' Scott Parker during his side's 3-2 victory on Sunday.
The Italian accepted a charge of violent conduct and will serve a four-game ban but Webb has received a lot of criticism for his role, with Balotelli's agent joining the argument.
Bernstein said: "Howard Webb is a fantastic referee and a great ambassador for the sport. His ability and integrity are beyond question.
"He has the utmost respect from within football in England and around the world.
"We all have a duty to respect our referees. To question their integrity or imply anything other than total impartiality is reckless and unfounded."
Balotelli will miss matches against Everton, Fulham and Aston Villa.
Callum Mulvihill
