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          Lucerne forward banned for eight games after red card assault on referee

          • Associated Press
          Sep 24, 2015, 11:47 AM ET

          The Swiss Football League has banned Lucerne forward Dario Lezcano for eight matches after he assaulted a referee who sent him off.

          Lezcano, 25, used his forehead to lightly touch the face of referee Fedayi San who had shown him a second yellow card.

          The Paraguayan player then pushed the referee's chest, knocking the red card out of his hand.

          The incident happened in the 88th minute of a 3-3 draw with Grasshoppers on Sept. 13.

          Imposing the ban on Thursday, the league said in a statement that "respect for referees is a fundamental part of the game."

          Lezcano, who is playing his eighth season in Switzerland, can appeal the sanction.