Ribery says sorry after accepting three-match ban

Franck Ribery has issued a social media apology after being hit by a three-match ban for an apparent shove on a linesman following Fiorentina’s defeat to Lazio. French winger Ribery was seen to shove assistant referee Matteo Passeri after the final whistle of Fiorentina’s 2-1 loss to Lazio on Sunday.
The 36-year-old was awarded a red card after pushing the official twice with the Italian league’s disciplinary commission dealing swiftly with the incident on Monday.
The Giudice Sportivo announced that Ribery has been banned for three matches and fined 20,000 euros for “seriously disrespectful behaviour toward an assistant referee.”
And Ribery later said: “I am really sorry about last night, I apologize to my teammates, the coach and the fans. I apologize to Mr. Passeri, because after the final whistle I was very nervous and disappointed, and I hope he can understand my mood. “I always want to be on the pitch and to help my teammates, because I came to Florence for this city and this club, and I expect more care for Fiorentina, the same care that is given to other clubs, because of the hard work we put in on a daily basis.”
Ribery, who will miss La Viola’s upcoming matches against Sassuolo, Parma and Cagliari, was already frustrated about decisions made by the officiating team in the game and the fact that he was substituted with 15 minutes left.
Fiorentina disputed the decision to allow Ciro Immobile’s match-winning goal a minute from time as there appeared to be a foul in the build-up.