The whole retrospective banning system needs a proper overhaul (and for the record I do think Sergio tried to elbow him).
If they want the referee's honest opinion on incidents then they should be taken to a room immediately after the match to rewatch the match and write their report on what they did/didn't see without having any contact or input from any 3rd party. Then that referee report is final and it negates any perceived influence by the media. Because that's the main problem here - it isn't whether Aguero should be banned or not it's the fact there is a perception that it is being influenced by the media.
In rugby league they have a video referee for tries. The process is that the referee gives a decision on the pitch - try or no try - and the video ref has to have absolute cast iron proof to overrule it. If he isn't 100% he goes with the ref. It should be the same in football with retrospective bans as well as appeals against red cards that are actually given on the field. To overturn an on-pitch decision it has to be cast iron with no margin for uncertainty.
If Aguero had been shown a straight red he could have no complaints and any appeal would fail on the grounds there's enough evidence to back up the referee. Conversely he wasn't shown a straight red and I'm not sure there isn't enough doubt - no matter how small - that it wasn't a red to escape a retrospective ban.
The issue of whether Sergio was in the wrong is separate to the issue of whether he should be banned and likewise they are separate to the issue of how retrospective bans should be handled.
If they want the referee's honest opinion on incidents then they should be taken to a room immediately after the match to rewatch the match and write their report on what they did/didn't see without having any contact or input from any 3rd party. Then that referee report is final and it negates any perceived influence by the media. Because that's the main problem here - it isn't whether Aguero should be banned or not it's the fact there is a perception that it is being influenced by the media.
In rugby league they have a video referee for tries. The process is that the referee gives a decision on the pitch - try or no try - and the video ref has to have absolute cast iron proof to overrule it. If he isn't 100% he goes with the ref. It should be the same in football with retrospective bans as well as appeals against red cards that are actually given on the field. To overturn an on-pitch decision it has to be cast iron with no margin for uncertainty.
If Aguero had been shown a straight red he could have no complaints and any appeal would fail on the grounds there's enough evidence to back up the referee. Conversely he wasn't shown a straight red and I'm not sure there isn't enough doubt - no matter how small - that it wasn't a red to escape a retrospective ban.
The issue of whether Sergio was in the wrong is separate to the issue of whether he should be banned and likewise they are separate to the issue of how retrospective bans should be handled.