The Hindu : Sport / Football : De Rossi gets four-match ban

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Saturday, Jun 24, 2006

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De Rossi gets four-match ban

BERLIN: Italy midfielder Daniele de Rossi was banned for four matches and United States defender Pablo Mastroeni received a three-match ban from FIFA's disciplinary committee.

De Rossi elbowed forward Brian McBride in the face during Saturday's 1-1 draw, opening a wound under McBride's left eye that required three stitches to close.

Mastroeni was sent off at the end of the first half of the same match after a late two-footed tackle on Andrea Pirlo.

De Rossi was also fined 10,000 Swiss francs (US$8,000), while Mastroeni was fined 7,500 Swiss francs (US$6,000), FIFA communications director Markus Siegler announced on Friday. De Rossi would be available to play in the World Cup final, if Italy makes it that far. The United States was eliminated in the first round.

The Italian Soccer Federation said that FIFA would have given de Rossi a five-match ban but reconsidered because of his written apology.

``I'm sorry for him, that he's got to miss four matches, but that's what we expected,'' said Giancarlo Abete, the head of Italy's World Cup delegation.

"We're going to accept FIFA's decision calmly," said Abete. "We hope he plays again (at the World Cup) — for his part, and also selfishly, for the rest of us." — AP

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