The Football Association is expected to ask FIFA to extend Ivan Toney’s ban globally unless an appeal leads to the suspension being overturned.
As things stand, the 27-year-old will not be able to play again until January 17 next year after he was banned for eight months by an independent regulatory commission for admitting 232 breaches of FA betting rules.
The FA could only apply to FIFA for a worldwide extension if a ban is still in place once the appeals process is complete.
Once the written reasons in the case are published, both parties have a window of time to issue an intention to appeal. Only once that window closes without an appeal or the appeals process concludes with a ban still in place could the FA apply to extend the ban globally.
The extension of the ban worldwide would rule out the possibility of Toney moving overseas to play on a temporary or permanent basis while any ban imposed in England is still in force.
The granting of an extension would require approval from FIFA’s own disciplinary committee, but would appear to be a formality with no obvious precedent where FIFA has refused a national association’s request to extend a ban globally.
The FA did apply to FIFA for a worldwide extension in the cases of two other English players banned over betting rule breaches—Kieran Trippier and Daniel Sturridge—while more recently FIFA accepted an application to extend a ban imposed by the Italian federation on former Tottenham managing director Fabio Paratici, a decision that prompted his resignation from the north London club.
Paratici’s ban was imposed following an investigation into allegations of financial mismanagement at his former club, Juventus.
It is unclear at this stage whether Toney, who won his first England cap in March, will appeal against the ban. He said he was “naturally disappointed” about the sanction in a statement issued on Wednesday, but said he would await the publication of the commission’s written reasons concerning the case before commenting further.
The FA is also awaiting the written reasons.
Toney will be allowed to return to training on September 17, four months before the playing ban expires.
The ban takes effect immediately, meaning Toney is out of Brentford’s final two Premier League matches this season, starting with the game against Tottenham on Saturday.
