Melbourne City goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis has been handed a lengthy suspension for his racial outburst directed at Besart Berisha.
Bouzanis, who repeatedly called Berisha a "f***ing gypsy" will miss the next five A-League matches.
“There is no doubt this is a serious offence and FFA reinforces its stance on the use of racial or other discriminatory remarks,” FFA CEO David Gallop said in a statement
“Football’s strength is its ability to unite people from all backgrounds and walks of life and we will not tolerate racial vilification in our sport.
“In saying that, FFA commends the exemplary response of Melbourne City and Dean Bouzanis in immediately seeking to deal with the issue, recognising that the behaviour was unacceptable, showing genuine remorse, taking proactive steps to apologise in person to the opposition player involved and working with the PFA to learn from the incident and help educate the player.”
Bouzanis accepted the verdict and apologised for his actions.
“I have accepted the sanction handed down this evening. I have apologised to Berisha and Melbourne Victory directly and I would also like to take this opportunity to extend my apology to the fans and the broader Australian football community. My future actions on and off the pitch will demonstrate I have learnt from this experience.”
