Milan's Mexes gets 4-match ban for punch

AC Milan defender Philippe Mexes has been slapped with a four-match ban after video footage showed the Frenchman punching Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini. Chiellini had called for a "heavy sanction" for Mexes following the sides' bad-tempered clash in Turin on Sunday, which Juve won 3-2. Serie A disciplinary officials used video footage to rule that Mexes had indeed punched Chiellini as the pair tussled prior to a corner being taken. The Juventus defender said after the match: "Some people just won't learn. When you're tough and determined, that's fair enough because at the end of the day you get up from a hard tackle and shake hands. But that is just not football." Mexes was handed a three-match suspension for the punch and another match for receiving a red card. The 31-year-old former France international, who had previously been red carded seven times in Serie A during spells with Roma and Milan, will now miss games against Udinese, Parma, Lazio and Fiorentina. Injury-ravaged Milan sit in 12th place, 13 points adrift of leaders Roma. Milan's woes deepened after league officials also ordered the club to play their next game, at home to Udinese, behind closed doors because of racist chanting from some sections of their visiting support on Sunday. League officials ruled the fans had been guilty of "insulting chants of territorial discrimination", a violation which also copped the Serie A giants a 50,000 euros ($67,840) fine. Milan said they will appeal the sanction. Source: AFP