BY ERIC KING
Chelsea‘s defender, Papy Djilobodji, has received a three-match ban from the German FA after making a throat-slitting gesture during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Mainz in the Bundesliga.
Djilobodji pulled his index finger across his throat in the direction of Mainz winger Pablo de Blasis, indicating a violent and unprofessional signal.
The Senegal international, who joined Chelsea on loan until the end of the season in January will be left out of Bremen’s trip to Borussia Dortmund as well as home games against Augsburg and Wolfsburg respectively.
The 27-year-old further faces a one-game suspension following his fifth yellow card against Mainz. It is not the first time an international player has been punished for his unacceptable indiscretions. In November 2009, St Pauli forward Deniz Naki made a similar gesture to Hansa Rostock fans during a German league match, and was slapped with a three-match ban from the DFB. Footballers are generally highly esteemed in society, so should know how to behave. However, history shows that footballers have one of the worst behaved professionals today.
The ban has been appealed by the club, but the appeal has no grounds whatsoever. Chelsea are desperately battling relegation, and are one point above the drop zone with seven games left to play. However, wrong conduct in football should always be punished, so the decision taken here is wholly justified.
