FFF extend Leonardo ban to 13 months

Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Leonardo has had his ban for pushing an official increased to 13 months.

The Brazilian was originally handed a nine-month suspension on May 31 after shoving referee Alexandre Castro in the tunnel following the 1-1 draw with Valenciennes on May 5.

However, that has now been extended by the French Football Federation (FFF) following an unsuccessful appeal.

A statement on the FFF website read: “The High Commission of Appeal of the French Football Federation on Wednesday decided to suspend Leonardo, sporting director of Paris Saint-Germain until June 30, 2014.”

Leonardo’s punishment applies to all official duties surrounding his role, while he is also not permitted to stand on the touchline during matches.

PSG were also given a suspended three-point deduction as a result of Leonardo’s actions.

The 43-year-old has been an integral figure in PSG’s rise to the top of the French game, luring a number of high-profile players – including Thiago Silva, David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – to the Parc des Princes and overseeing a hugely succesful period which culminated in them clinching their first league title since 1994 last term.