Thursday, 4th July, 2013
Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has had his suspension from official duties extended to cover the whole of next season, following an appeal hearing with the French Football Federation.
Leonardo was given a nine-month ban for pushing a referee in the Parc des Princes tunnel following 1-1 draw against Valenciennes in May.
The ban was expected to last until early February of next year, but with Leonardo making his appeal to the FFF, that has been rejected with five months added on.
Leonardo had not been present for the appeal hearing itself, which media reports in France claimed was partly the reason the appeal was not successful.
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The PSG sporting director is banned from all official duties, including visiting referees during matches, until 8th February, 2014.
PSG, however, still have the option of moving the French Olympic Committee (CNOSF) with a counter-appeal against the sentence.
In addition, PSG had also appealed agains the suspended three-point deduction for next season – for the same incident – a matter which the FFF decided to refer to the French League’s disciplinary committee.
Leonardo’s ban had been one of the reasons that PSG had not fully considered handing him the manager’s role, when Carlo Ancelotti’s position had become uncertain.
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