Totti won't appeal three-game spitting ban
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-06-19 09:32

Italy's star playmaker Francesco Totti decided not to appeal his three-game suspension for spitting in the face of a Danish opponent in the team's Euro 2004 opener.

Italian player Franceso Totti, front right, sits in the stands with his girlfriend Ilary Blasi, front left, before the Group C Euro 2004 first round match between Italy and Sweden at the Drago Stadium, in Porto, Portugal, Friday, June 18, 2004. Totti received a three match suspension for spitting at a Danish player in a earlier match. Bulgaria and Denmark also play in Group C. [Reuters]

Italy had until Friday to appeal the decision, but Totti, the Italian soccer federation and his legal team agreed not to, federation spokeswoman Barbara Moschini said.

The federation said in a statement that Totti "sincerely regretted the error he made."

"The sports judges, in applying the regulations and the appropriate penalties, have pronounced the last word on a fact that regards sports justice and that should be closed and filed away," the statement said.

UEFA spokesman William Gaillard in Lisbon said, "We felt the sentence was fair and proportionate to the offense. Perhaps the Italian federation also did."

Totti spit in the face of Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen in the 50th minute of Monday's 0-0 draw, but he wasn't ejected because the referee didn't see the confrontation.

A Danish TV station, however, caught it on tape and aired the footage Wednesday, leading to UEFA's decision to suspend Totti the next day.

The suspension severely hinders Italy's hopes in the tournament.

Totti, who was ejected in overtime minutes before South Korea (news - web sites) knocked Italy out of the 2002 World Cup, missed the 1-1 tie with Sweden on Friday. He also will miss the game against Bulgaria on Tuesday and the quarterfinals, if the Italians qualify.

Without Totti, Alessandro Del Piero is likely to move into the playmaker role, and Antonio Cassano would be added as a forward alongside Christian Vieri.

Totti is coming off a spectacular season at AS Roma in which he scored a career-high 20 goals for the Serie A team.