Rooney’s appeal successful, 3 match-ban reduced to 2, but there’s a catch..
Wayne Rooney received his appeal’s decision today afternoon after an hour long hearing which included strong evidence to support Rooney’s claim that he regrets kicking the Montenegrin player, Miodrag Dzudovic.
The 26-year-old English star footballer lost his cool during a 2-2 draw in an international friendly against Montenegro and ended up kicking Dzudovic. He was immediately sent off and consequently banned for 3 matches, which meant he would be unable to play
all of England’s group stage matches against France, Ukraine and Sweden.
The FA, with their best legal line-up, had managed to get enough evidence from multiple sources, to prove to the UEFA panel that Rooney’s ‘kick’ was not primarily malicious, but an accident for which he immediately apologised. The evidence also states that
Rooney did not argue with the officials after he was sent-off.
The appeal package also includes a letter from Dzudovic himself, asking for the ban to be reduced.
The English striker rode in a limo to Nyon following his club’s devastating exit from the Champions League as Manchester United lost to Swiss side Basel 2-1.
English manager, Fabio Capello was also there at the hearing alongside Rooney. He looked distraught at the number of media personnel present at the venue and was even more shocked when a UEFA official asked the media people to come into the lounge and film
the player’s pre-appeal anxiety.
The appeal was be heard by three-member UEFA panel: Chairman Michel Wuilleret (Switzerland), Levent Bicakci (Turkey) and Ivaylo Ivkov (Bulgaria).
The decision states that Rooney’s ban would be reduced from 3 matches to 2, with the third ban being degraded to a suspension: which means that the striker would be available for England’s third group match against Ukraine on June 19.
However, this seemingly auspicious decision does come with a catch. If Rooney gets sent off in a European League match, for violent conduct, the 3-match ban will be on again.
The Manchester United star is also expected to do some community work in regard with this new decision.
The decision brings some good news for the Englishman who seemed distraught following last night’s debacle against FC Basel.