Roberto Carlos has three days to appeal the verdict

Zurich: Brazil and Real Madrid defender Roberto Carlos has been banned for three international matches for pushing a referee, Fifa said on Friday.

Roberto Carlos was banned following his dismissal for pushing Israeli referee Alon Yefet in a 1-2 defeat to Portugal on March 29 after protesting the award of a free kick. Fifa’s disciplinary committee, headed by Swiss chairman Marcel Mathier, decided on Friday to impose the three-match international ban on the player.

Carlos, who has three days to appeal the verdict, will now miss the next two Brazil games after sitting out a friendly with Mexico on April 30 while provisionally suspended.

Fifa announced on April 7 that he would be provisionally suspended from all international fixtures for his actions, but he appealed against the decision.

That appeal was rejected eight days after the punishment was enforced after Fifa’s appeals committee viewed video evidence in addition to the referee’s report. But Carlos was quoted in Spanish daily Marca as saying: “I never went to push him or to head-butt him. I have never attacked anyone in any game I’ve played, whether it be a rival player or a referee.”

Fifa banned Portuguese midfielder Joao Pinto from all football for four months in June 2002 after he was found guilty of punching referee Angel Sanchez in a controversial World Cup defeat by South Korea.

Bakke fined £5,000

Meanwhile, Leeds midfielder Eirik Bakke has apologised to fans after being been banned for driving for two years and fined £5,000 ($8,000) on Friday after being found guilty of drunk driving, adds a report from London.