5 players who were hit with long suspensions
With referees cracking down ever harder on poorly timed challenges, and more and more calls for officials to also tackle the problem of dissent, it seems like suspensions are becoming more and more common in today’s game. Usually, of course, they only last one or two games, perhaps three for a more serious infraction.
At times though, some of the game’s biggest stars have been hit with far longer suspensions; some for infractions on the pitch, and others for off-the-field issues. They’ve caused chaos within the careers of these players – some missing out on major events while others may well have profited in the long run. Here are five of the longest – and most controversial - suspensions in football history.
#5 Eric Cantona – 9 months
In 1995, Manchester United’s Eric Cantona was no stranger to controversy, the Frenchman’s volcanic temper having gotten the better of him on numerous occasions. During his early career in France he’d been banned for a month on two separate occasions – once for throwing his shirt away after being substituted by Marseille, and once for abusing the French Football Committee during a disciplinary hearing while playing for Nimes.
His longest ban was yet to come. He’d been sent off a few times for Man United and so when he was dismissed against Crystal Palace for a kick at Richard Shaw in January 1995 eyebrows were hardly raised. As he headed off the pitch though, he was abused by a Palace fan and Cantona responded by leaping into the crowd with a kung-fu kick aimed at the supporter. It was one of the wildest moments in football history.
After the incident, Cantona was hit with a criminal charge of assault, resulting in 120 hours of community service. Despite calls for the FA to ban him from English football permanently, he was instead hit with a nine-month suspension, with the FA’s chief executive Graham Kelly describing the attack as a “stain on the game”.
Cantona has since called it a “memory for the fans to treasure” – he returned from his suspension to lead United to a Premier League and FA Cup double in the next season.