FIFA extends Luisão ban worldwide
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Article summary
SL Benfica defender Luisão will be suspended until 14 November after FIFA extended worldwide a two-month ban issued by the Portuguese Football Federation.
Article top media content
Article body
SL Benfica defender Luisão will be suspended for the first four games of the Lisbon side's UEFA Champions League campaign after FIFA extended worldwide a ban issued by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) for an incident in a pre-season friendly.
The Brazilian, 31, was given a two-month ban from all domestic matches after assaulting a referee during a friendly against German team Fortuna Düsseldorf on 11 August. Luisão travelled with Benfica for their UEFA Champions League Group G opener against Celtic FC in Glasgow, but will not be able to play following FIFA's decision. World football's governing body confirmed that he was "banned worldwide from carrying out any football-related activity for the duration of the ban imposed by the association".
That means he will be ineligible for any game – for Benfica or Brazil – until 14 November, missing the first four fixtures of Benfica's Group G programme: at Celtic, at home to FC Barcelona, and then away and at home against FC Spartak Moskva.
