The 11 longest bans in Premier League history includes Suarez, Toney and Cantona
Ivan Toney has been slapped with an eight-month ban from all football activities after being found guilty of breaching the FA’s betting rules.
The Brentford star admitted 232 breaches between February 2017 and January 2021.
As well as an eight-month ban, he has also been handed a £50,000 fine and a warning of his future conduct.
In a statement, Toney said, per Sky: “Today I have received notification of my eight-month ban from football following a hearing before an FA Regulatory Commission that took place yesterday.
“I am naturally disappointed that I will be unable to play for the next eight months.
“The written reasons for the commission’s decision have not yet been published, so I make no further comment at this point other than to thank my family and friends, Brentford FC and our fans for their continued support, through what has been a very difficult time.
“I now focus on returning to play the game I love next season.”
The 27-year-old’s hefty ban got us thinking: what are the longest bans in Premier League history?
The Sun named the 10 longest bans in the history of the Premier League. We have updated the list following Toney’s ban and you can view it below…
The 11 longest bans in Premier League history
=10. Aleksandar Mitrovic – eight games
Mitrovic will make his Fulham return on May 13 when his side travel to Southampton.
=10. Luis Suarez – eight games
Suarez was slapped with an eight-game ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra in December 2011.
=8. Luis Suarez – 10 games
Suarez is the only player on the list to feature twice. He was suspended for 10 games after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.
=8. David Prutton – 10 games
Prutton was given a 10-game ban, as well as a £6,000 fine, when he pushed the referee after being sent off in a game for Southampton against Arsenal in 2005.
7. Paolo Di Canio – 11 games
Di Canio lost it after being sent off in a match between Sheffield Wednesday and Arsenal in 1998. He pushed referee Paul Alcock and sent him flying before walking off the pitch. He was given an 11-game ban and a £10,000 fine.
6. Kolo Toure – six months
Toure was given a six-month ban in 2011 after testing positive for a banned substance.
5. Adrian Mutu – seven months
In September 2004, Mutu was banned from football for seven months after testing positive for cocaine use. Chelsea terminated his deal and then started to seek compensation from the Romanian for breach of contract.
FIFA eventually ordered Mutu to pay around £16 million to his old club.
=3. Ivan Toney – eight months
Toney will return to action in January 2024.
3. Rio Ferdinand – eight months
Ferdinand accidentally missed a scheduled drugs test in 2003. Despite later taking the test and passing, he was given an eight-month ban and a £50,000 fine.
=2. Eric Cantona – nine months
Cantona was given the hefty ban after infamously kung-fu kicking a Crystal Palace fan in January 1995. He was handed a nine-month ban and also got 120 hours of community service.
=1. Mark Bosnich – nine months
Bosnich tested positive for cocaine while playing for Chelsea in 2002.
He was given a nine-month ban and was sacked by his club.
