Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Naser was on Monday night banned for six months and fined Dh200,000 by the UAE Football Association's disciplinary committee for spitting at a referee during a match with the club's arch-rivals Al Ain last week in the Arabian Gulf League.
The Emirati was accused of spitting at referee Yacoub Al Hamadi during the fixture on October 27 against Al Ain and was punished heavily by the country's football authorities when they met on Monday to discuss the matter.
A statement on the UAE FA’s website said: “The UAE FA’s disciplinary committee has decided to ban Al Ahli goalkeeper Majed Naser for six months as well as to fine him a sum of D200,000 for spitting at referee Yacoub Al Hamadi in the Arabian Gulf League clash between Al Ahli and Al Ain.”
It is not the first time that Naser has fallen foul of the UAE’s disciplinary chiefs.
He was banned for 17 games in 2012 while playing for Al Wasl, when he slapped the Ahli coach Quique Sanchez Flores on the back of the head following an Etisalat Cup semi-final.
It proved to be a costly day for the Arabian Gulf League champions as they were also fined, as was coach Cosmin Olaroiu.
The Romanian was fined Dh10,000 and warned about his conduct.
Olaroiu had been sent off by Al Hamadi in the final minute of the match for reacting angrily on the touchline after his player Carlos Munoz was sent off when he picked up a second yellow card for diving as he appealed for a penalty.
The club was also fined Dh30,000 after the Dubai side picked up six cautions during the match.
Munoz was shown two of them to earn his red, while Luis Jimenez, Walid Abbas and Majed Hassan also ended up going in Al Hammadi’s book during an ill-tempered match that also saw three players from Al Ain receive cautions.
Ahli were fined a further Dh20,000 for their fans making offensive chants towards the official during the match.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on twitter at @SprtNationalUAE
