Joey Barton has been banned from football for 18 months after admitting FA misconduct charge relating to betting. The 34 year old Burnley midfielder had been under investigation before his return to the Premier League.
The news will surely put an end to Barton's career at the top of football and he had only returned to the North West club in January after a short and controversial stint at Rangers.
This is the latest in a long line of controversies in the midfielder's career.
Barton, celebrating Burnley's promotion last season, had been back in impressive form for the Clarets since his return. Image: PA Images
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The statement from the FA read: "Joey Barton has been suspended from football and all football activity for 18 months with immediate effect after he admitted an FA misconduct charge in relation to betting.
"It was alleged that between 26 March 2006 and 13 May 2016, he placed 1,260 bets on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in, football matches or competitions in breach of FA Rule E8.
"Following the Independent Regulatory Commission hearing, the Burnley midfielder was also fined £30,000 and warned as to his future conduct.
Written Reasons will follow in due course."
In a statement on his own website Barton admitted he was wrong but revealed a gambling addiction and that he felt the ban was too harsh on him:
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"I am very disappointed at the harshness of the sanction. The decision effectively forces me into an early retirement from playing football. To be clear from the outset here this is not match fixing and at no point in any of this is my integrity in question.
"I accept that I broke the rules governing professional footballers, but I do feel the penalty is heavier than it might be for other less controversial players. I have fought addiction to gambling and provided the FA with a medical report about my problem.
"I'm disappointed it wasn't taken into proper consideration. I think if the FA is truly serious about tackling the culture of gambling in football, it needs to look at its own dependence on the gambling companies, their role in football and in sports broadcasting, rather than just blaming the players who place a bet.
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"I am not alone in football in having a problem with gambling. I grew up in an environment where betting was and still is part of the culture..."
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