PARIS – Marseille midfielder Joey Barton was given a two-game ban for calling Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva an "overweight ladyboy" on Twitter, and the French Football Federation suspended the penalty.
The 30-year-old Englishman was summoned to appear at the FFF's ethics committee for a second time on Monday. Marseille had ordered Barton to stop and the club apologized to both PSG and Silva.
Barton did not attend the hearing and was represented by two lawyers. The FFF said the penalty would have to be served only if Barton uses offensive language again on Twitter and the discipline would not be related to anything that might happen on the field.
He is cleared to play in his team's three remaining league games this season. Marseille trails first-place PSG by seven points.
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