BREAKING: Palestinian FA President BANNED for inciting fans to burn Messi's jerseys

Jibril Rajoub, the President of Palestinian Football Associastion, has been suspended for one year for inciting fans to burn Lionel Messi's jerseys

FIFA, world football's governing body, has 

released a statement via their official 

website confirming the punishment.

"The Disciplinary Committee has 

sanctioned the President of the 

Palestinian Football Association (PFA), 

Jibril Rajoub, with a 12-month match 

suspension and a fine of CHF 20,000 for 

breaching article 53 (Inciting hatred and 

violence) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, 

following media statements he gave 

calling on football fans to target the 

Argentinian Football Association and burn 

jerseys and pictures of Lionel Messi," 

reads a FIFA statement.

Argentina were set to play Israel national 

team at Jerusalem's Teddy Kollek 

Stadium 

in early June in a World Cup warm-up 

match that has attracted huge interest 

among the Israeli fans, mainly because of 

Messi's planned participation.

But the Palestinians are not happy that 

the 

match will be held in Jerusalem and 

Palestinian FA chief Jibril Rajoub wrote to 

Claudio Tapia, the head of the Argentinian 

FA, last week accusing Israel of using the 

match as a 'political tool'.

Rajoub declared a campaign against 

Argentina and particularly Messi, noting 

he 

has millions of fans across the Arab and 

Islamic world, Asia and Africa.

"He's a big symbol so we are going to 

target him personally and we call on all to 

burn his picture and his shirt and to 

abandon him. We still hope that Messi 

will 

not come," he told reporters back in June