World Football governing body FIFA have announced a one-match ban for England midfielder Dele Alli over his unsporting and obscene middle-finger gesture during the 2018 World Cup qualifier against Slovakia earlier this month.
Alli who plays for English top flight club Tottenham Hotspur was caught on camera raising his finger in the direction of French referee Clement Turpin during the world cup qualifier at Wembley and had risked a potential four-game ban.
But the 21-year-old said the gesture was made in jest towards his former Spurs teammate Kyle Walker.
The English youngster was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (£3,852) by Fifa, who says the incident on 4 September was “offensive and unsporting”.
“Although the disciplinary committee was not convinced that the player directed the gesture at the referee, and regardless of whether it was allegedly directed at a team-mate, it did consider such gesture to be offensive and unsporting. Therefore it amounted to a violation of article 57 of the Fifa disciplinary code,” a Fifa statement said on Friday.
With this ruling, its means Alli will miss Thursday’s World Cup qualifier at home to Slovenia, but the 21-year-old will be available for the game against Lithuania on Sunday.
England are comfortable placed top of the group F with 20 points.
