Football
Ian Holyman, France correspondent 9y

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's four-match ban is unjust, Paris Saint-Germain insist

Paris Saint-Germain believe Zlatan Ibrahimovic should not have been given the four-game ban for insulting match officials that risks damaging their Ligue 1 title chances.

After a hearing in front of the French Football League's Disciplinary Commission, Ibrahimovic was suspended for three games and saw a previous suspended one-match ban activated following his foul-mouthed outburst at officials following PSG's defeat at Bordeaux on March 15.

It leaves PSG, who are currently a point clear of Lyon at the top of the table with seven games left, without their leading scorer in Ligue 1 for a month -- he returns for the home against Guingamp on May 9.

After the hearing, Olivier Letang, PSG's deputy sporting director, said Ibrahimovic should not have been punished.

"For us, Zlatan should not be suspended, because he aimed no hurtful or insulting words at the match officials," argued Letang, who was one of a three-man panel representing Ibrahimovic. "The fourth official confirmed his words were said after the officials' dressing-room door had been closed. Zlatan was only talking to himself, in an area that we can consider 'private.'"

Ibrahimovic, who is also suspended for next week's Champions League quarterfinal first leg with Barcelona following his red card at Chelsea in the previous round, will miss his club's league encounters with Nice, Lille, Metz and Nantes.

He will, however, be available for Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final with Bastia as the domestic ban only starts on April 14.

After scoring a hat trick in Wednesday's Coupe de France semifinal triumph over St Etienne, Ibrahimovic told media he felt he should escape sanction for his angry words at Bordeaux.

"Everything depends on the way they interpret things," said Ibrahimovic, whose triple strike in the 4-1 victory took him beyond the 100-goal mark for PSG. "But quite frankly, I don't expect to be punished."

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