Former "Chinese Footballer of the Year" Zheng Zhi of Shandong Luneng club has been banned for six months of all competitive games, the Asian Football Confederation's (AFC) Disciplinary Committee ruled on Friday.

The committee held a meeting on Thursday to discuss several cases of indecent behaviors during the AFC Champions League and decided to impose heavy punishment on Shandong club.

Zheng Zhi was banned from playing any kind of competitive football for six months after being found guilty of abusing and spitting at the referee during Shandong Luneng's second leg quarterfinal against Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia at the AFC Champions League on September 21, 2005. Zheng Zhi has also been fined US$4,500.

As the ace player for both Shandong club and Chinese national team, Zheng Zhi's absence of six months makes a huge loss for Chinese football. As the ban stared from Nov 9, the Chinese playmaker would miss the two upcoming friendlies against Serbia and Montenegro and Bulgaria on Nov 13 and 16 respectively.

In another decision, the committee suspended Al Ahli of the United Arab Emirates for two editions (2006 and 2007) of the AFC Champions League and imposed a fine of US$94,500 for failing to show up for their Group C match of the 2005 AFC Champions League against Neftchi Fergana of Uzbekistan in Tashkent on May 25, 2005.

Al Ahli had declined to travel to Uzbekistan to play the match on the grounds of security.

The affected parties have the right to lodge an appeal before the AFC Appeals Committee within 15 days.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2005)