FIFA bans Pinto from all footballing activities

Portuguese international Joao Pinto has been banned from club and international football until October 17 for punching a referee during the ...

Portuguese international Joao Pinto has been banned from club and international football until October 17 for punching a referee during the World Cup, FIFA said today.

He had originally been suspended after striking Argentinian referee Angel Sanchez in a melee after being shown a red card during Portugal’s 0-1 defeat against South Korea, which sent the Portuguese crashing out of the tournament.

FIFA’S disciplinary committee today imposed a six-month suspension, but said two of those were considered a partial suspension, meaning the 30-year-old Sporting Lisbon player will be allowed to play again in October.

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Pinto was also placed probation for one year, meaning that if he commits a similar offence during that period he must serve the additional two months suspension. He was also ordered to pay a fine of 50,000 Swiss franks ($33,700) and he will also have to meet the procedural costs of 15,000 Swiss francs.

Pinto and Sanchez gave their version of the events to the FIFA committee today.

A FIFA statement said: “The evidence in FIFA’s possession, on, I.E. The reports submitted by the match referee, the match commissioner and the referee inspector, as well as other witnesses’ reports, indicated that Joao Pinto had punched referee Angel Sanchez of Argentina in the stomach when he showed him the red card.

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