Palestinian Football Association head Jibril Rajoub was banned by FIFA from all-football related activities for launching an protest against Barcelona captain Lionel Messi earlier this year.
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Jibril had called for protest in June over a friendly between Israel and Argentina, which was ultimately called off. The PFA head had incited the protesters and Messi fans from all around the world to burn his shirt.
FIFA said its disciplinary committee considered Rajoub’s statements “incited hatred and violence”. It banned the Palestinian FA head for 12 months and also imposed a $20,000 fine.
The Palestinian association is yet to respond to the ban, while the Israel counterparts have refrained from commenting.