Frings banned for Italy clash Monday 3 July, 2006
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FIFA have suspended Germany midfielder Torsten Frings for the World Cup semi-final against Italy.
The game’s world governing body took the step in the aftermath of the brawl which marred Germany’s penalty shoot-out win against Argentina in the last round.
FIFA opened a new probe when fresh images from television executives in Italy seemed to suggest that the Werder Bremen man threw a punch at Inter striker Julio Cruz.
The influential midfielder has been banned for two games, even if the second match is supended which menas he could play in the Final if Germany get there, and fined 5000 Swiss Francs for the incident.
This afternoon’s news will come as a massive blow to boss Jurgen Klinsmann who had confidently predicted that Frings would be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“I think he is innocent and he’s told me that,” the former Inter striker stated earlier on Monday. “He’ll mark [Francesco] Totti. Let us not forget that Argentina started all of this.”
Frings, who is now set to be replaced by either Tim Borowski or Sebastian Kehl, had told a German newspaper that he had been nothing more than a victim in the incident.
"I found myself in a crowd of people where everyone was hitting out wildly," he said. "I took two punches myself. I put out my hands to protect myself, that was all.”
The German media insisted that FIFA’s decision to examine the new evidence was purely instigated by the Italian media.
The Bild newspaper, one of the biggest in the country, wrote: "Italians want Frings suspended. Are they so afraid of us?"
However, the Italian Football Federation have insisted they had no part to play in the suspension of Frings.
“We haven’t lifted a finger,” stated spokesman Antonello Valentini. “We’ve contacted the German Federation to ensure them that we have not been involved in any of this.”
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