Football: Carvalho banned for one year

LISBON: Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho has been banned from the national side for one year for abandoning the team’s training camp without explanation last month. “Given the player’s sporting past, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has decided to ban Carvalho from the national side for one year and make him ineligible for any premiums resulting from a possible qualification for Euro 2012,” said an FPF statement. Real Madrid defender Carvalho left Portugal’s training camp for the Euro 2012 qualifier away against Cyprus on August 31 without explanation, but later said he was retiring from international football as he had been disrespected at the camp.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2011.