June 20, 1998|By From Tribune News Services.
PARIS — France received a blow to its World Cup hopes Friday when star playmaker Zinedine Zidane received a two-match suspension for stepping on an opponent.
FIFA's disciplinary commission handed out the ban after Zidane was given a red card for planting his cleats in the side of Saudi Arabia captain Fouad Amin in France's 4-0 victory Thursday night.
The red card was one of five issued in two games Thursday as referees answered an order from newly elected FIFA president Sepp Blatter to crack down on fouls.
A red card carries an automatic one-game suspension, but the added match means that Zidane won't play again unless France reaches the quarterfinal. It clinched a spot in the second round with the win over Saudi Arabia.
"This is a very harsh decision. This inexcusable act deserved a one-match ban," French coach Aime Jacquet said. "No one will replace Zidane. The French team will organize itself in a different way.
South Africa's Alfred Phiri was banned for three games and Denmark's Miklos Molnar for two as FIFA followed up "Red Card Day" with World Cup suspensions.
Clean sweep: The Japanese fans are leaving stadiums spotless and stadium personnel out of a job.
After the Argentina-Japan match Sunday stadium personnel went to clean the stands of the Japanese fans and found there was nothing there to sweep up.
The Japanese fans had brought along their own garbage bags and left with them. Not a stray paper was found in the stands, according to a report in Friday's editions of the sports daily L'Equipe. Some fans even had pocket ashtrays with them.
Getting ready: Hundreds of extra riot police will make their way to Toulouse over the weekend, preparing for the arrival of feared English soccer supporters.
Some 640 extra riot police and paramilitary gendarmes will be despatched to the city to prevent a recurrence of riots triggered by English hooligans last week in Marseille, an interior ministry spokesman said.
England will face Romania Monday in a Group G match.