Al Wasl goalkeeper gets 17-game ban for slap

Nasser, who is the Cheetahs' number one shot-stopper, reacted angrily to his side's exit from the Etisalat Cup at the semi-final stage with a 1-0 defeat to Ahli on Sunday evening.

As Flores, his coaching staff and players celebrated their progress through to a May showdown with near neighbours Al Shabab on the Rashid Stadium pitch, Nasser inexplicably hit out at the Spanish boss.

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This blindsided and unprovoked attack duly incensed many of the Al Ahli players, with Youssef Mohamad and goalscorer Faisal Khalil looking to confront the perpetrator, before he was eventually led away and order was finally restored between the two teams.

Wasl reacted swiftly to Nasser's violent act that same night, with officials confirming he had been suspended “indefinitely” and club vice-chairman Swaidan Al Naboodah admitting there would be a “large penalty” for his behaviour.

Nasser himself also apologised to his own team-mates, club representatives and supporters in the immediate aftermath of the unseemly fracas and said sorry too to Flores, who accepted his apology.

An official club statement on Monday read: “The board of directors of Al Wasl Football Company have suspended Al Wasl goalkeeper Majed Nasser indefinitely following his violent act against Al Ahli coach Quique Sanchez Flores following last night's Etisalat Cup semi-final match. “Accordingly, the board members will meet to review all the evidence related to the incident and listen to what the player has to say regarding his actions before determining the punishment that will be issued against him in accordance with the terms of the penalty guidelines of Al Wasl Football Company.

“Al Wasl Football Company emphasises its absolute rejection of any unsportsmanlike act or behaviour by any player or member of Al Wasl Football Club. This type of behaviour not only damages the reputation of the individual but is also detrimental to the image of the club as a whole, and will not be tolerated.

“Players are considered a reflection of the club and are therefore expected to be role models of Al Wasl's values and ethics.”

All of that though was presumably to try and offset any forthcoming FA intervention, with the perceived notion that Wasl themselves had already got the matter well in hand.

Nonetheless, with Flores having implied in his post-match Press conference Nasser's actions reflected badly on Arabian football, Wasl's damage limitation exercise mattered little in the final reckoning.

He has been given the maximum suspension for both hitting (11 games) - and spitting - at an opponent (six matches) after video footage allegedly confirmed he had done so towards Ahli's Lebanese defender Mohamad.

There was no official comment from the Zabeel Stadium outfit on Tuesday as Wasl looked to discover the exact implications of the FA's ruling and consider the hardline verdict.

Any reaction isn't expected until at least the weekend, with Nasser and Wasl having the right to appeal against the decision.