Frei handed 15-day suspension
(China Daily)
Updated: 2004-06-23 06:47

Switzerland striker Alexander Frei has been provisionally suspended until the end of Euro 2004 after television footage showed him spitting at an England player.

Frei was pulled off the Swiss roster just hours before their final Group B game against France on Monday. Switzerland eventually lost to France 3-1.

"The UEFA Appeals Body has suspended the Swiss player Alexander Frei provisionally for all competitive UEFA matches in national team competitions," European soccer's governing body said in a statement.

"This provisional suspension is for a total of 15 days and takes effect today ... before the France-Switzerland match." Euro 2004 ends with the final on July 4.

UEFA wants Frei to be banned for five games, a UEFA official told Swiss television.

UEFA lodged an appeal earlier on Monday against the decision by its disciplinary body to clear the Stade Rennes player of spitting due to lack of evidence. The appeal hearing will be this week if Switzerland reach the quarter-finals.

"Should Switzerland fail to qualify the hearing would take place back in Nyon, Switzerland in July after the end of Euro 2004." If the Swiss qualified for the final, they would have four matches left including Monday's.

A UEFA official told Swiss television UEFA wanted the 24-year-old to be banned for five games because "among other things, in the first instance a completely true version of events was not presented by the Swiss side."

Italy forward Francesco Totti was banned for three matches last week for spitting at a Denmark player during a Group C match. Totti admitted his guilt and apologized at his hearing.

On Sunday, UEFA's disciplinary body cleared Frei of spitting. The player denied any wrongdoing and the television footage which had led to the charge was unclear.

Just hours later footage on SF DRS television in Switzerland showed Frei brushing past Steven Gerrard late in Thursday's game and clearly spitting at the back of the England player's neck.

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