FIFA bans Vukovic from Olympic football tournament

[pulse]

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -Football's world governing body has ruled Australian goalkeeper Danny Vukovic out of the Beijing Olympics, overturning a decision by an independent appeals panel that would have allowed him to play despite his ban for striking a referee.

Football Federation Australia confirmed Tuesday that FIFA had ruled Vukovic ineligible for international matches until Jan. 25 next year.

Central Coast Mariner's goalkeeper Vukovic was banned for 15 months - with six months suspended - after being sent off for striking referee Mark Shield at the end of this year's A-League grand final loss to Newcastle in March.

He appealed the original suspension to an independent panel, which reduced the ban by four months and split the suspension so that he could play at the Olympics and serve the ban before and after the Beijing Games.

Vukovic also has the right to appeal against FIFA's latest judgment, although the FFA is not planning an appeal.

"FIFA's decision noted that it has the responsibility for determining suspensions to apply to international competitions,'' the FFA said in a statement. "It has a duty to prevent players who have committed a serious infringement and who are suspended from playing in domestic competition from competing in international competition.

"FIFA also noted that interruption of the suspension at international level under the sanction imposed by (FFA's) Independent Appeals Committee would be contrary to the spirit of FIFA's regulations.''