Brazil team spokesman gets 4-match ban from duty

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — FIFA says it has suspended Brazil’s team spokesman from matchday duty for the rest of the World Cup after he clashed with a Chile player.

Rodrigo Paiva shoved Chile substitute Mauricio Pinilla as the teams left the pitch at halftime of a second-round match.

Paiva denied throwing punches during the incident in Belo Horizonte on June 28, and accused Chile’s team of “deplorable conduct.”

FIFA’s disciplinary panel imposed a four-match ban and fined Paiva 10,000 Swiss francs ($11,180).

FIFA says Paiva already served the first part of the ban at Brazil’s 2-1 win over Colombia on Friday.

He cannot work at Brazil’s semifinal against Germany in Belo Horizonte on Tuesday, and the subsequent final or third-place match.

FIFA says the fourth match sanction is deferred for a two-year probationary period.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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