Athens – AEK Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis has been banned for five-matches, fined $1,300 and forbidden to enter any sports stadiums after his Nazi-salute goal celebration, the Greek Football Federation (EPO) announced on Friday.
Since the 20-year-old has already been suspended by his club until the end of the Super League season, the five-game ban handed by the EPO on Friday was only symbolic.
In an earlier hearing, Katidis was handed a lifetime international ban by the EPO for making the gesture after scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 Super League victory over Veria last month.
“AEK Athens footballer Giorgos Katidis is disqualified for five matches, banned from entering sports stadia for three months and is ordered to pay a fine ... due to the incidents in the Super League match AEK-Veria,” the EPO said in a statement.
Katidis, who has apologised and called his actions “totally unacceptable”, had already asked to be dropped from AEK's first team. – Reuters