Barthez banned for six months for spitting at ref

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, now with Marseille, has been banned for six months for spitting at a referee during a friendly.

However much of the ban, of which three months will be suspended, will be served in the close season, and he should be available to face Ireland in their crunch World Cup qualifier in September.

Barthez will miss the last four league matches of this season but the ban comes at a bad time for his club as Marseille are trying to hold onto the third and last qualifying position for the Champions League in France. They go into the next round of games just one point clear of Monaco.

Barthez was charged after spitting in the direction of referee Abdelah El-Achiri during a stormy match with Wydad Casablanca in Morocco in February.

Marseille defender Frederic Dehu was sent off after the melee but has been acquitted of any wrongdoing by the French Football Federation.

The club have been fined €1000.

Barthez had given evidence on Thursday evening to the French Football Federation committee.