French football chiefs have pledged they will follow the example of FIFA in punishing players who insult opponents on the pitch.
French Football Federation (FFF) president Jean-Pierre Escalettes accompanied Zinedine Zidane to Thursday's FIFA disciplinary hearing in Zurich where the Frenchman picked up a three-match ban for his headbutt on Marco Materazzi in the World Cup final which led to his sending-off.
Materazzi was banned for two matches after admitting to insulting Zidane, although FIFA and Zidane himself have cleared him of any suggestion that the insults were racist.
Both players were also fined but as Zidane is now retired he will not serve any ban but instead will help FIFA with humanitarian work for three days.
Escalettes told the www.fff.fr website: 'The first remark to make is that the provocateur has been punished with a two-match suspension for the national team.
'Materazzi will not appeal against the sanction. In punishing the provocateur, FIFA has set an example even if Zinedine Zidane is guilty.
'The second remark is that this verdict is in the same sense as the FFF philosophy and can be used as a basis for work for disciplinary committees whether at national level or Ligue or district levels.'
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