SEOUL, June 6: Brazil’s Rivaldo, fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($6,390) for play-acting in Monday’s World Cup game against Turkey, will face tougher penalties if he repeats the faking, FIFA said Thursday.

The world ruling body’s disciplinary committee, saying the incident “cheated everybody”, has sent a letter to the Brazilian federation with the warning, FIFA communications director Keith Cooper said.

“The letter says that he may be sanctioned strongly by FIFA’s disciplinary committee if he continues to behave in this manner,” Cooper told a news conference.

Disciplinary committee chairman Marcel Mathier added in a statement: “We regret a world-class player such as Rivaldo has to resort to this type of subterfuge. FIFA wanted to demonstrate that this type of simulation cannot be accepted and go unpunished.”

Rivaldo was the first player to be punished for feigning injury at the World Cup following FIFA instructions for referees to crack down on players faking injuries or fouls.

Turkey midfielder Hakan Unsal was sent off after kicking the ball at Rivaldo as he waited to take a corner in Monday’s group C match. Although the ball hit Rivaldo in the legs, he collapsed dramatically to the ground clutching his face in apparent agony.

Rivaldo will also have to pay 1,500 francs in costs. Before the tournament FIFA said players booked or sent off for “diving” would be fined 2,000 francs.

After the fine was announced, the Brazilian forward appeared unrepentant and said cunning was one of a footballer’s skills.

“People have forgotten about the 90 previous minutes about what I did in the game, what the Brazilian team did in the game,” Rivaldo said. “People have forgotten all of this because of one incident which is common in football.”

But Mathier said: “The referee had not been able to see the incident as clearly as the FIFA disciplinary committee, who on the grounds of the television images provided, could determine that Rivaldo had faked when he pretended to have been hit in the face.

“Such behaviour means everybody is cheated — not only the opponents and the referee but also the football fans.”—Reuters