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PSG star Di Maria handed four-match ban for spitting incident during Ligue 1 loss to Marseille
The winger has been handed a punishment for his part in a late-game melee between the French rivals
Paris Saint-Germain star Angel Di Maria has been hit with a four-match suspension for spitting on Marseille defender Alvaro Gonzalez during a late-game melee earlier this month.
The incident came during a scuffle towards the end of PSG's 1-0 loss to Marseille, a heated match that saw five players sent off in the game's final moments.
Towards the end of the game, the two teams engaged in a scuffle, with Neymar among those to earn a red card for slapping Gonzalez during the coming together between the two rival sides.
The Brazilian, who was dismissed alongside team-mates Layvin Kurzawa and Leandro Paredes as well as Marseille duo Jordan Amavi and Dario Benedetto, later accused the Spanish defender of making racist remarks, which Gonzalez denied.
Neymar went on to say that his only regret was "not hitting that asshole in the face", with Gonzalez firing back by saying the winger must learn how to lose with grace.
Di Maria was also heavily involved in the incident, with Marseille boss Andre Villas-Boas claiming that the Argentine spat on one of his players during the late-game clash, and the Argentina international forward has now been hit with a four-game suspension after a review of the incident.
The suspension will begin on Tuesday, meaning Di Maria will be eligible for this weekend's visit to Reims in Ligue 1. After that, he will miss matches against Angers, Nimes, Dijon and Nantes before potentially returning against Rennes on November 8.
Di Maria has scored one goal in three games for PSG so far this season as the defending Ligue 1 champions have now claimed six points from their first four matches in the French season.
The Argentine made 41 appearances in all competitions for the club last season, scoring 13 goals while serving as a vital figure in PSG's run to the Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
He originally joined PSG in 2015 after a difficult one-year spell with Manchester United following a spectacular run with Real Madrid. Di Maria has made 224 appearances in total, scoring 83 goals as PSG have claimed four Ligue 1 titles during his time in France.
