Alli hit with one-game ban for ‘unsporting’ gesture

DELE ALLI has been banned for one international match by FIFA for raising his middle finger during England’s 2-1 victory over Slovakia earlier this month.

Alli has also been fined £3,800 following the incident, although the governing body’s disciplinary committee determined that the midfielder had not directed the gesture at the officiating referee, as initially suggested.

Nonetheless, FIFA ruled that Alli’s behaviour was “offensive and unsporting” and have subsequently banned him for one match.

A FIFA spokesman said: “Although the Disciplinary Committee was not convinced that the player directed the gesture at the referee, and regardless of whether it was allegedly directed at a teammate, it did consider such gesture to be offensive and unsporting and therefore it amounted to a violation of art. 57 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.”

The decision means Alli will miss England’s game against Slovenia next week but will be free to play during the start of the side’s World Cup campaign next summer, should they qualify.

Shortly after a collision with Martin Skrtel at Wembley, Alli was captured on live TV making the one-finger salute in the direction of Kyle Walker and referee Clerment Turpin.

After the game the 21-year-old insisted that he was engaging in a private joke with his former club team-mate.