This Monday, the disciplinary committee of the French Football Federation pronounced a suspension of 5 firm matches accompanied by 2 suspended matches for Ibrahim Sissoko. The ASSE striker elbowed Leonardo Balerdi in the 20th minute. A heavy sanction which is unusual for a player.
Ibrahim Sissoko's sanction seems quite severe, the FFF disciplinary committee is more severe than that of the LFP. For comparison, Mathieu Cafaro was guilty of a fairly similar gesture 2 years ago. During a match against Le Havre, he punched an HAC player in the face. The former Reims man then received a one-match suspension. Which proves a glaring discrepancy between the scale of sanctions of the FFF and the LFP.
Ibrahim Sissoko will miss more than 1/4 of ASSE's remaining matches this season in Ligue 1. The Greens will have a demanding schedule, with clashes against Stade de Reims and Paris Saint-Germain to complete the first leg. The return phase will begin with matches against FC Nantes, AJ Auxerre, and LOSC Lille. The Malian will then be able to make his return against Rennes on February 9 or 10.
Unheard of in 11 years at ASSE
With this 5-match suspension for Ibrahim Sissoko, we have to go back to November 2013 to see a heavier sanction against a Saint-Etienne player. Kurt Zouma was then suspended for 10 matches after a very violent tackle. The ASSE-trained defender had seriously injured Thomas Guerbert in the ankle and especially in the tibia-fibula.
In December 2017, Stéphane Ruffier received a 4-match suspension against Monaco. The goalkeeper, then captain that evening, went to challenge an opposing goal with Amaury Delerue's assistant. The referee of the match considered the behavior of the Saint-Etienne goalkeeper as aggressive towards the linesman.
