ISL 2016 | Marco Materazzi suspended for one match due to misconduct

"Materazzi was found guilty of ‘misconduct against opponents or persons other than match officials’ under AIFF Disciplinary Committee Article 49 C for his unsporting behaviour towards a team official of the opponent team after the Hero ISL 2016 Match 26 (29th October 2016 vs Kerala Blasters FC) at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai," the official statement of the ISL read on Wednesday.

Chennaiyin FC, who are currently sitting fifth in the league table with nine points, drew their last game 0-0 in the South Indian derby. At the end of the match, Kerala's Kervens Belfort and Manuele Blasi got involved in a tussle after which Chennaiyin's coach Materazzi confronted Belfort before the duo were separated by the officials and the players.

“As far as I'm concerned, nothing happened. I just wanted to talk to Belfort. I think he could have avoided what he did. I just wanted to convey this to him and wanted to ask him to lose such an attitude,” Materazzi explained after the game.

Chennayin will also miss the services of midfielder Hans Mulder and defender John Arne Riise due to injuries. The MS Dhoni co-owned team will face second-placed Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai on Wednesday.