Fabien Barthez?s ban includes a three-month suspended sentence

Paris: Olympique Marseille and France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez has been given a six-month ban, three of which are suspended, for spitting at a referee. The sanction handed by the disciplinary committee of the French Football Federation (FFF) will take effect Monday.

Barthez will be available for France?s next World Cup qualifiers against Faroe Islands on September 3, Ireland on September 7, Switzerland on October 8 and Cyprus on October 12. Barthez appeared on Thursday before the disciplinary committee of the FFF who passed the sentence on Friday.

?The disciplinary committee took the following decisions: player Fabien Barthez has been suspended for six months including three suspended months, Olympique Marseille have been fined 1,000 euros ($1,305),? the FFF said in a statement published on their website.

Olympique Marseille have 10 days to appeal before the FFF appeal commission or the French National Olympic Committee but their request will not suspend the ban.

Barthez was reported for spitting at referee Abdellah El Achiri during a friendly between Wydad Casablanca and Marseille in February.

A brawl erupted on the pitch after Marseille defender Frederic Dehu was sent off with Barthez, who had been substituted, getting up off the bench and confronting the referee. The match was abandoned with 10 minutes left.

Dehu also appeared at Thursday?s hearing and was cleared of all charges.

Barthez who is the only player in the current squad who played at Euro 1996 under Aime Jacquet, has won 75 caps since his debut against Australia in May 1994. He became first choice for the 1998 World Cup, which France won by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final, and was also a member of the side that won Euro 2000.

Barthez captained France for their first game under coach Raymond Domenech in a friendly against Bosnia in August 2004. He then suggested he would not play for France again but Domenech convinced him to continue until the 2006 World Cup finals.

Meanwhile, Roma captain Francesco Totti will miss the bulk of the remaining Serie A season after being slapped a five-match ban from the Italian federation, another report adds from Milan.

Frederic Dehu, who was sent off with Barthez, was cleared of all charges

The Roma player was red carded in the 64th minute of Wednesday?s 0-2 shock loss to Siena after lashing out at Francesco Colonnese.

Unfortunately for Totti, the referee?s report also noted another kick at the same player earlier on.

The federation also handed a three-match ban to Juventus? centre-forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic for a clash with Inter Milan?s Ivan Cordoba.

In a similar incident, Newcastle United midfielder Lee Bowyer?s four-match ban was extended by a further three games on Friday, following his on-field brawl with team mate Kieron Dyer, adds a report from London.

Bowyer was originally banned for three matches for the red card he was shown during Newcastle?s 3-0 defeat by Aston Villa on April 2, plus an extra game because it was his second domestic dismissal of the season. (Reuters)