Israel defender Roy Revivo will miss two matches at the Paris Olympics after his urgent appeal against a FIFA ban was rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The decision was announced just hours before Israel’s opening game against Mali.
The appeal was heard at the CAS Olympic base in Paris on Wednesday. The panel of three judges dismissed Revivo’s application, confirming the two-game suspension imposed by FIFA.
Revivo’s suspension is a consequence of a red card he received during a European Championship qualifying playoff match against Iceland in March. The tackle led to Israel’s 4-1 defeat and elimination from the tournament.
Despite the ban being handed down by FIFA, it was related to a UEFA competition. As a result, Revivo will miss Israel’s match against Paraguay on Saturday in Paris. He is expected to return for Israel’s game against Japan in Nantes on Tuesday.
Israel has not played a competitive match in the past four months, which contributed to the timing of the appeal and subsequent ruling.
