Soccer commission suspends goalkeeper Ovchinnikov for 5 games

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MOSCOW, August 3 (RIA Novosti) - Sergei Ovchinnikov, Dinamo Moscow's goalkeeper, said Thursday he had been suspended for five games by the Russian Football Union's disciplinary commission after a blazing row with a referee a week ago.

Ovchinnikov, who joined Dinamo this season, was also fined 100,000 rubles ($3,740) for his foul-mouthed tirade and was warned that he would be suspended until the end of the season if he committed another offence.

The former Russia goalkeeper exploded during a match between Dinamo Moscow and Moskva Moscow on July 25 after the referee gave the opposition what he considered to be an incorrect corner.

Ovchinnikov, who has also played for Benefica, Porto and Lokomotiv Moscow, was first cautioned for foul language before being sent off after appearing to slap the referee in an incident that lasted for several, heated minutes.

Igor Zakharov, the referee Ovchinnikov attacked, said the commission's decision was just.

"We have known each other for a long time, used to play soccer together and we are friends," Zakharov said. "He probably behaved like this because he received the fourth yellow card [this season] and it looks like he did not know all the rules of soccer."

The 35-year-old stopper, who received his marching for the first time at club level, had to be escorted off the field and threw his captain's arm ban on the pitch. He had previously been sent off playing for the national team at the Euro-2004 championships.

Although Ovchinnikov told the press after the match that he had apologized to the match officials, he was less charitable to at least one journalist, whom he swore at and threatened to punch in the head for asking what he believed to be a stupid question.

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