London - Arabstoday
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee, under the chairmanship of Marcel Mathier (Switzerland), has sanctioned five Uzbekistan national team players and the Uzbekistan FA following a match played in round three of the AFC preliminary competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™. Having already qualified for round four, Uzbekistan hosted Tajikistan in a qualifying match at the Pakhtakor Stadium on 15 November 2011. Between the 70th minute (with Uzbekistan already winning 2-0) and the conclusion of the match, five Uzbekistan players – who had already received one yellow card in previous matches in round three of the AFC preliminary competition – were cautioned in separate incidents for deliberately delaying the restart of the match. Their automatic suspension incurred for two yellow cards, in compliance with art. 17 par. 3 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), will have to be served on 29 February 2012 in the final round-three match between Japan and Uzbekistan. Having reviewed the official match reports and footage of the incidents, as well as taking into consideration all of the circumstances, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided to sanction the five players under article 57 of the FDC and additionally sanctioned the Uzbekistan FA in accordance with article 52(a). Shavkatjon Mulladjanov, Sanjar Tursunov, Islom Tuhtahujaev, Server Djeparov and Vagiz Galiulin have been sanctioned with a one-match suspension, to be served during Uzbekistan’s first match in round 4 of the AFC preliminary competition for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, in addition to the automatic suspension incurred for two yellow cards (art. 17 par 3 of the FDC). Each player has also been fined CHF 3,000. The Uzbekistan FA has been fined CHF18,000.