Marseille president banned 15 matches for corruption accusation

Pablo Longoria, the president of French football giants Marseille, was banned for 15 matches on Wednesday for claiming his club were victims of "corruption."

Fabrizio Ravanelli, the Italian former Marseille striker now working in an advisory role for the club, was suspended for three games for labelling decisions in last weekend's 3-0 loss to Auxerre as "scandalous."

"The commission considered offensive remarks and behaviour which are a breach of the ethics charter and which harm the image of football," said Sebastien Deneux, the head of France's Professional Football League (LFP) disciplinary body.

Longoria is suspended "from all official functions and access to players' and officials' dressing rooms, the pitch and all corridors leading to these areas," the LFP said in a statement.

Longoria has apologised for his choice of the word "corruption," admitting that it "wasn't appropriate."

Marseille, second in Ligue 1, were already trailing 1-0 to Auxerre on Saturday when they had a penalty claim dismissed by referee Jeremy Stinat just before half-time.

The visitors then had Canadian defender Derek Cornelius sent off for a second yellow card shortly after the hour mark, before conceding two further goals late on to slump to a disappointing defeat.