Muscat handed eight-match ban
Reuters - Thursday 27 January 2011, 15:01
SYDNEY - Australian international Kevin
Muscat could have played his last game after receiving an
eight-match suspension on Thursday for an ugly challenge on
Melbourne Heart's Adrian Zahra in last weekend's A-League derby.
"The Disciplinary Committee has determined that the player
will serve an eight-match suspension," Football Federation
Australia said in a statement.
Playing what is widely believed to be his last A-League
season, the 37-year-old Melbourne Victory captain rugby tackled
Zahra who suffered a serious ligament injury.
Muscat said he regretted the "mistimed tackle", insisting he
did not intend to injure Zahra but his career has been littered
with similar incidents.
Playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1998, a tackle on
Charlton Athletic's Matty Holmes left his opponent needing four
operations on his ankle and in the same year Muscat broke
Norwich City striker Craig Bellamy's leg.
Muscat's sliding challenge on Christophe Dugarry in 2001 put
the French forward out of action for two months.
Three matches are left of the regular season and even if
Melbourne Victory, who have seven days to appeal, reach the
A-League final, Muscat will miss out.