Robson says Totti ban lenient

Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson believes Francesco Totti was lucky to escape with a three-match ban for spitting at Denmark’s Christian Poulsen in the 0-0 draw between the two teams at Guimaraes.

Totti, perhaps Italy’s most influential player, will miss the games with Sweden and Bulgaria as well as the quarter-final if the Azzurri get that far.

In his column in O Jogo newspaper, former England manager Sir Bobby wrote: “Totti can consider himself lucky to get only three games and I can say that if it had been an English (disciplinary) committee he would have been thrown out of the tournament.

“Spitting at someone is something that quite simply is not done, it’s unacceptable,” he said. “And don’t let me hear anyone say it is the fault of the TV cameras.

“Footballers are role models, examples for youngsters and what Totti did was inadmissible.

"Congratulations to UEFA.”