December 30 – England and Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier has been given a 10-week worldwide ban and fined £70,000 after an English Football Association panel found he broke betting rules.
Trippier denied seven alleged breaches but four were found proven during a personal hearing.
The FA did not clarify what the breach entailed but said it had occurred in July 2019, around the time Trippier joined Atletico for a reported £20 million from Tottenham Hotspur.
“The independent regulatory commission’s written reasons for its decisions and the associated sanction will be published in due course,” the FA said in a statement adding the suspension is effective as of last Wednesday.
Trippier has been one of the standout performers for Diego Simeone’s Atletico side, playing every minute of their La Liga and Champions League games this season. But the 30-year-old will now miss at least 13 games in all competitions, including their Champions League last-16 first leg tie at home to Chelsea on Feb. 23.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone, whose club are challenging for their first Spanish title since 2014, said the ban was far too harsh.
“We think it’s unfair and we hope it can be revised because of the damage done to Atletico,” Simeone said ahead of Atletico’s league clash with Getafe on Wednesday, the first game Trippier will miss.
“Atletico obviously have absolutely nothing to do with this situation so we hope it can be re-assessed in some way, because while the FA benefits from this, Atletico is harmed by it and has nothing to do with it.
“But the circumstances are what they are and we’ll have to live with it.”
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