Brazil’s Chief Media Officer Suspended By FIFA for Assaulting Chilean Player
By Opeyemi Oladunjoye
Brazil’s chief media officer, Rodrigo Paiva, has been banned for three matches and fined £6,500 by FIFA following a half-time ruffle in their last-16 match against Chile in Belo Horizonte on 28 June.
Paiva is banned after he was involved in a fracas in the tunnel at the Estádio Mineirão with Chile striker, Mauricio Pinilla who accused Paiva of punching him in the face. Paiva admitted slapping him.
In a statement issued on Saturday, FIFA said that as he had already missed the match against Colombia on July 4, Paiva would not be involved in Tuesday’s semi-final against Germany or either the third-place playoff on 12 July or the final on 13 July.
The disciplinary committee said it imposed the fine in accordance with Article 48 of the disciplinary code which stipulates “at least two matches for assaulting (elbowing, punching, kicking etc) an opponent or a person other than a match official.”
