England striker Wayne Rooney’s ban for Euro 2012 has been reduced from three matches to two following his appeal to European football governing body UEFA here on Thursday. Rooney will now be available for England’s third Group D game, against joint hosts Ukraine, but will miss the first two fixtures against France and Sweden for kicking out at Miodrag Dzudovic in the final qualifier in Montenegro in October.
A ban for the third match has been suspended for four years and the 26-year-old has also agreed to do some coaching in the community with a UEFA project. Rooney travelled to Nyon for the appeal after Manchester United’s shock Champions League exit at FC Basel on Wednesday night, along with England manager Fabio Capello. England managing director Adrian Bevington said: “It is a positive outcome, Wayne and Fabio are both very pleased. Wayne will now head back to Manchester, they are both very satisfied that they have had a fair hearing. “Wayne always made it clear he accepted it was a red card offence and we are very pleased with the outcome.
“We arrived with the possibility of Wayne Rooney missing the entire group phase so to have him available for the final group game against Ukraine is a positive result for us and Wayne Rooney as well.” Rooney himself had described his action as “stupid” and Dzudovic sent a statement to UEFA on the Manchester United striker’s behalf. Rooney’s absence for the France and Sweden games will nevertheless be a blow for England as he has scored scored 28 goals in 73 selections for the national side.
