FIFA bans Palestinian soccer leader for a year after inciting violence against Lionel Messi

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption There's no escaping the ugliness behind this year's World Cup in Russia Behind the grand sporting fiesta that awaits at the 2018 FIFA World Cup the tournament has been marred by a series of subplots that painted an ugly picture before the games even got underway.

FIFA suspended Jibril Rajoub, the head of the Palestinian Football Association, for 12 months for inciting violence and hatred towards soccer superstar Lionel Messi –asking fans to burn Messi posters and shirts. The soccer governing body announced the news in a press release Friday.

Rajoub, who was also fined $20,000 by FIFA, will not be allowed to attend any soccer event for the next year nor will he be allowed to be in a game's venue in any capacity.

FIFA's disciplinary committee cited the Palestinian leader's media comments in June in which he called soccer "fans to target the Argentinian Football Association and burn jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi."

Those comments, made before a World Cup warmup match slated for June 9 in Jerusalem between Israel and Argentina, led to Argentina pulling out of the game.