French Secretary of State for Sports Thierry Braillard on Monday dubbed as “scandalous” the headbutt that Brazilian striker Brandao landed on Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta on Saturday.
Brandao’s club, SC Bastia, later added that it “condemned without ambiguity” the player’s action, but PSG were furious at the lack of a more concrete response from the Corsica-based club.
PSG confirmed that Brazil-born Italy international Motta suffered a broken nose in an ugly clash with Brandao after Saturday’s 2-0 win against Bastia.
Photo: AFP
Images from CCTV cameras in the tunnel at the Parc des Princes showed Brandao apparently waiting for Motta to approach him before headbutting the player after their Ligue 1 game.
“Of course it merits a sanction,” Braillard told France Info, calling Brandao’s action “scandalous, unacceptable.”
Brandao, who was suspended for four matches last season for elbowing PSG’s Yohan Cabaye at the Parc des Princes while playing for AS Saint-Etienne, risks a lengthy suspension, while PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi on Saturday called for a lifetime ban.
In a statement, Bastia said they “reserved the right to take further action in this matter.”
However, the Corsican club, with former PSG and France star Claude Makelele at the helm, added that it “also deplored the equally unacceptable behavior of some players who didn’t stop insulting and provoking their opponents.”
In response, PSG said they were “surprised that the club has not sanctioned their player, whose premeditated, extremely violent gesture is inexcusable and calls for exemplary sanctions from the football league’s disciplinary commission.”
“Paris Saint-Germain reserves its right to take further action if necessary,” the club said
The disciplinary committee of the Professional Football League is to examine the incident tomorrow.
To make matters worse for Brandao, PSG, the French champions, also confirmed that right-back Gregory van der Wiel suffered “a fracture of the second lumbar vertebra following a knee in the back from the Bastia player in the first half.”
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