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NYON: Uefa charged Barcelona goalkeeper Jose Pinto with improper conduct on Friday for allegedly whistling to fool an FC Copenhagen player into thinking he was offside during a Champions League game.
Uefa said it opened a disciplinary case against Pinto after the Danish club filed a complaint following Wednesday’s game in Spain.
Copenhagen forward Cesar Santin was running through on goal in the 26th minute but then stopped believing he heard a whistle. French referee Stephane Lannoy allowed play to continue and did not show Pinto a yellow card for the alleged deception.
Copenhagen trailed 1-0 at the time and eventually lost 2-0.
The club said it informed Uefa and Barcelona and “strongly distanced itself from the episode that is against all principles of fair play and respect for the game and the opponent.”
“FC Copenhagen has a principle that games are decided on the turf,” the club said on its website.
Uefa rules call for action if a player “violates the basic rules of decent conduct,” even if an incident is missed by a referee.
Uefa’s disciplinary committee could hear Pinto’s case at a meeting scheduled for next Thursday.
The panel can suspend the 34-year-old goalkeeper for at least two European matches if it decides he acted “with the obvious intent to cause any match official to make an incorrect decision.”
Pinto was playing his first Champions League game for Barcelona since joining the three-time European champions in January 2008. – AP
