Fifa lifts Messi four-game
Lionel Messi
Abu Dhabi - Arab Today
Fifa on Friday overturned Barcelona star Lionel Messi's four-game ban from international matches imposed for swearing at an assistant referee, saying there was not enough evidence to support the stiff punishment.
The U-turn is a major boost to Argentina's hopes of reaching next year's World Cup in Russia, with the South Americans struggling in regional qualifying.
Fifa said its appeal committee sided with a challenge filed on Messi's behalf by the Argentine Football Association and lifted "the sanctions imposed on him as a result".
"Despite the fact that the Fifa Appeal Committee considered Lionel Messi's behaviour as reproachable" it concluded "the evidence available was not sufficient" to justify a four-game ban.
In March the striker was found guilty of "having directed insulting words at an assistant referee" in a World Cup qualifier against Chile which Argentina won 1-0 thanks to a penalty from the Barcelona hitman.
Argentine football chief Armando Perez conceded that Messi "made a mistake", but argued that Fifa's sanction was disproportionate.
- Sunday ,21 October GMT 06:54 2018 Messi breaks arm in Barcelona win, Lopetegui under fire as Madrid lose
GMT 16:18 2018 Tuesday ,04 December
Germany's Dressen undergoes knee surgeryGMT 09:41 2018 Tuesday ,04 December
Leverkusen frustrated in sodden NurembergGMT 07:31 2018 Friday ,09 November
Arsenal striker Welbeck suffers serious ankle injuryGMT 12:45 2018 Friday ,02 November
Usain Bolt leaves Australian football club after trialGMT 13:05 2018 Wednesday ,31 October
Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago out with ligament tearGMT 14:58 2018 Tuesday ,23 October
Second-tier SV Hamburg sack coach Titz, appoint WolfGMT 06:54 2018 Sunday ,21 October
Messi breaks arm in Barcelona win, Lopetegui under fire as Madrid loseGMT 13:11 2018 Thursday ,18 October
Halep withdraws from WTA Finals with back injuryRussia tests new telemetry system during manned Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft’s launch
Moscow - TASS
The Astra-06 apparatus developed by specialists of Russian Space Systems (RSS) was used for the first time as additional telemetric equipment aboard the manned Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft launc...Read MoreGMT 13:55 2011 Saturday ,25 June
Three killed in Oman road accidents
GMT 09:06 2024 Thursday ,08 February
Meghan presents fashion award to wedding dress designer Waight Keller
GMT 08:56 2017 Wednesday ,12 April
Taiwan bans eating dogs and cats
GMT 00:20 2013 Sunday ,01 December
February 18 - March 19
GMT 16:03 2017 Monday ,24 April
The sad saga of North Korea’s ATMs
GMT 14:17 2018 Monday ,01 January
Dora: Her role in new drama is surprise
GMT 06:36 2015 Monday ,14 December
Children return to school in Libya's war-torn Benghazi
GMT 23:36 2017 Monday ,27 February
India: Record-breaking PSLV mission has a downside, former chief of Isro says
GMT 11:37 2016 Tuesday ,11 October
Royal Dutch Shell signs initial deal to return to Iran
GMT 14:35 2018 Tuesday ,25 September
Pumping water using solar chimneys ranks first at Al-Bassel Fair for Innovation and Invention
GMT 14:21 2017 Tuesday ,10 October
VP urges lifting Sudan off list of countries sponsoring terrorism
GMT 09:13 2017 Monday ,10 April
Circus arts help Syrian children make new life
GMT 06:00 2016 Friday ,01 July
April 20 - May 20GMT 20:11 2011 Monday ,16 May
$185m spent annually on smoking in KuwaitGMT 18:57 2012 Wednesday ,08 February
Simmered beet greens with roasted beets
GMT 21:52 2014 Saturday ,27 September
The new MINI 5 doorGMT 10:52 2011 Thursday ,01 December
France lends Vietnam over $27 mln for climate change projectGMT 13:01 2011 Wednesday ,13 July
Mexico\'s Deputy Minister of Energy visits Masdar InstituteGMT 09:23 2011 Monday ,11 July
Japan: reactor \'stress tests\' in two phases
GMT 03:14 2017 Thursday ,11 May
Defence Minister Busaidi receives Malaysian, Turkish, Brazilian envoys
GMT 23:53 2016 Thursday ,24 November
Court hands down 6-month suspended sentence
GMT 00:08 2017 Thursday ,11 May
Finance minister receives Turkish deputy premier in Oman
GMT 12:31 2017 Wednesday ,29 March
Qatar Airways Wins 'Airline Of The Year' Award
GMT 03:33 2016 Friday ,24 June
Bee’ah Rolls out Wi-Fi bins in Sharjah
GMT 11:00 2016 Thursday ,18 August
Divided Fed wanted to keep rate 'options open'
GMT 11:13 2017 Monday ,09 January
Gay players could come out together
GMT 09:55 2017 Tuesday ,07 February
Hours after Super Bowl loss, Shanahan joins 49ers
GMT 13:31 2016 Thursday ,29 September
Fewer errors was key to Barca fightback
GMT 11:31 2017 Tuesday ,14 February
Angola probes football stampede that killed 17GMT 21:49 2011 Thursday ,05 May
Africa loses $12 bln a year to malariaGMT 00:11 2011 Tuesday ,10 May
Pakistan\'s Misbah hits 100 in WIndies test warmup
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor