PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN boss Luis Enrique faces a TOTAL coaching ban for his Club World Cup Final slap attack on Chelsea star Joao Pedro.
Spaniard Enrique lost control after his side crashed 3-0 to Chelsea in New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium.
After squaring up to the Brazilian striker, the PSG chief slapped him once to the side of the head, before players rushed in to separate the duo.
The incident sparked a major melee involving 20-plus players and staff from both sides. Fifa is now poised to open a formal disciplinary probe into Enrique’s behaviour.
But world chiefs are UNABLE to impose a specific match sanction because PSG and Enrique will not play any games under their jurisdiction until the Champions League winners represent Europe in the InterContinental Cup in December.
And that leaves a TIME penalty – a period in which the Catalan would be prevented from doing ANY training ground or match day work – as the most likely punishment if Enrique is charged with misconduct.
“Fifa is above Uefa. If Fifa tells you there are three matches it’s in their competition, but since in this tournament the yellow and red cards ended, FIFA can, on the other hand, sanction players based on time.”
The time-based penalty was handed out to former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez when he bit Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini in Uruguay’s World Cup group game at the 2014 finals.
Suarez was initially banned from “all football-related activities” for four months and banned for nine international matches, although an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was partially successful allowing the striker to train with new club Barcelona.
Fifa have yet to confirm whether disciplinary procedures have been opened against Enrique or anybody else involved.