Breaking legs and suspensions

[kromoszoma]

I got into an argument with someone on another site about the ban of a Belgian player called Axel Witsel, who broke a Polish player called Marcin Wasilewski's leg in a Belgian league game. It was probably the worst injury I've ever seen, it looked much worse even than Eduardo's.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OapMvlhZOQ
You can see it there but it's not for the faint of heart.

He got banned until the end of the year. I think that's ridiculous, because he almost certainly ended a career right there and he'll miss 11 games. I believe it was intentional, because Wasilevski had injured him a year or two ago, and also because it definitely looks intentional to me based on the video. The motion of the tackle, the fact that he doesn't even go to look at him, much less apologize, that he smiles when he gets the card and that he even submitted an appeal suggest to me that this is one cynical evil bastard.

Anyway, you can't objectively state that it was intentional, but my opinion is that he should be banned for long long years if not for life anyway. Whether he's a psycho (a la Roy Keane) or simply the worst tackler of all time (a la Martin Taylor), he's dangerous to whoever he plays against.

I'm not even going to comment on Platini's 'crack-down on diving' while this is going on...

What do you think? Do you think a four month ban is enough? Too much? Does intent matter?

[USA]

I think a 1 calander year suspension is a minimum. If the players career is ended the a longer punishment should be considered. I think breaking someone's leg on purpose is far worse than using PED's or any drugs for that matter. With drugs, you are mainly putting your own life and career on the line but when you break another players leg, you are messing with someone else's career and family.

That being said, it is hard to determine what is an accident and what is on purpose.

[Batu7]

A 1 year suspension should be the minimum for causing injuries like Eduardo's.

[Slava]

I definitely think intention of the player needs to be considered while giving out suspensions and one year ban without pay is an adequate enough punishment but if the player reverts back to old ways even after returning, a life time ban should definitely be considered.

I've seen that Witsel challenge but I was not aware that he had a vendetta on that one. Roy Keane was a bonafide nutcase and what he did to Haaland was even more gruesome since almost everyone in the arena knew it coming and Keane went straight for the knee but even after that many players said that Haaland should have known better when he started the feud with Keane and even his manager offered him to sit that game against United.

[bryant08]

I don't know how bad the intent was, but the injury sustained was beyond disgusting. That was one hell of an ugly site to say the least.

[El Turco]

reckless maybe, but that didn't look intentional at all to me. ball and Wasilewski's leg was in the same parallel and from the video it looked like Witsel was going after the ball when Wasilewski''s leg get in the way.

don't know anything about the history between two players but past history is either purely coincidental or Witsel did a helluva job making it look like legit tackle. i think 10 game suspension is more than enough, unless he is a repeat offender.

[Munchlaxatives]

Witsel apparently wanted to join Arsenal. I think there's a game between Arsenal and Liege in two weeks to boot.

That said, I'm all for Witsel getting banned for months. What was he gonna do, step on the ball?

[BlackMamba]

well, about 5 years ago i suffered a similar injury and couldn't play for like 8 months. so maybe, the suspension, to be "fair" it should be until the injured player can play again in an official game.

and it was a very hard foul. maybe his intention wasn't to break his leg, but stepping on the ball will never end in a good way.

[Sleepy]

Well considering that Roy Keane got only banned for, what?, 8 games for this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRF2Zjyl29g

From Wikipedia:

He made headlines again in the 2001 Manchester Derby, a game in which Alf-Inge Håland played. Five minutes from the final whistle, he was sent off for a blatant knee-high foul on the Norwegian in what was seen by many as an act of revenge.[15] He initially received a three game suspension and a £5,000 fine from the FA, but further punishment was to follow after the release of Keane's autobiography in August 2002, in which he stated that he intended "to hurt" Håland. Keane's account of the incident was as follows:

I'd waited long enough. I **** hit him hard. The ball was there (I think). Take that you ****. And don't ever stand over me sneering about fake injuries.[16]

An admission that the tackle was in fact a premeditated assault, it left the FA with no choice but to charge Keane with bringing the game into disrepute.[17] He was banned for a further five matches and fined £150,000 in the ensuing investigation. Despite widespread condemnation,[18] he later maintained in his autobiography that he had no regrets about the incident: "My attitude was, **** him. What goes around comes around. He got his just rewards. He **** me over and my attitude is an eye for an eye."[16] Håland briefly considered taking legal action against Keane, but after both legal and medical advice he later decided otherwise. The Norwegian retired from football shortly afterwards, stating on his website that it was a recurring problem in his other leg that was causing him pain, rather than an injury resulting from Keane's tackle.[19]

[snitch55]

Roy Keane is the total ****! Antifootball player! you can see many of them especially in the EPL, where headless monkeys like with no brain like Keane are called heroes and football legends.

[snitch55]

Roy Keane is the total ****! Antifootball player! you can see many of them especially in the EPL, where headless monkeys like with no brain like Keane are called heroes and football legends.

[treiz]

^As much as Keane was a c*** during his days, he was the perfect definition of a commanding defensive midfielder and pretty much introduced the position along with Vieira to the EPL. Also, remember during those times (2000, damn not that long ago!), football was an all contact sport, if you dived you'd get stick from EVERYBODY!

And my opinion of the thread is that if it's intentional then they deserve the 1-year ban.

[Slava]

Roy Keane is the total ****! Antifootball player! you can see many of them especially in the EPL, where headless monkeys like with no brain like Keane are called heroes and football legends.

Roy Keane's attitude was simple. You put a ball on the field and he'll either be the fastest to get it or he'd put in the tackle to win it. Calling Keane a headless monkey is pretty naive since he pretty much inspired United to victories on the biggest stages in European football.

If you think Keane is headless & crap, I'd love to hear what you think about Gattuso.

[El Turco]

What was he gonna do, step on the ball?

he could have been attempting a pull back to take control of the ball.

[snitch55]

If you think Keane is headless & crap, I'd love to hear what you think about Gattuso.

Same , he's a stupid player, but not as rough customer as Keane .

I'm saying that breaking a guy's foot /knee is one thing but than admiting that it was on purpose is f*ckung gross.

[treiz]

^Of course it's disgusting, but you have to respect the guy for leaving everything on the pitch, as well revolutionizing the positiong along with Vieira.