Sabtu, Januari 31, 2009

Vidic banned for San Siro trip


Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic will miss next month's Champions League first-leg match against Inter Milan after receiving a one-match ban for his red card in December's Club World Cup final.

The suspension was announced by world football's governing body FIFA on Friday, along with a fine of 5,000 Swiss Francs ($4,329).

The Serbian international was sent off four minutes into the second half of United's 1-0 win over Ecuador's LDU in Yokohama on December 21 after elbowing LDU striker Claudio Bieler in the face and could have faced a lengthier ban.

Instead he will be free to play in the return leg at Old Trafford on March 11.

FIFA's disciplinary committee was responsible for issuing the suspension as the Club World Cup is a FIFA competition but it will be applied by European soccer's governing body UEFA who are the organisers of the Champions League.

FIFA also announced a two-match ban from Asian continental competition for Gamba Osaka's Takahiro Futagawa following his last-minute red card in the tournament's third-place play-off match.