The two-time Premier League winner is about to take a lengthy break from football.
A former Premier League great and two-time Champions League winner has received a five-year suspension from football.
Geremi, a former Newcastle United and Chelsea midfielder, has been banned from all football activities for five years following an incident during the 2023 African Cup of Nations.
The Cameroonian won the Champions League twice with Real Madrid in 2000 and 2002 before going to Chelsea, where he also achieved great success, winning the Premier League twice under Jose Mourinho.
Geremi made 109 appearances for Chelsea across all competitions before joining the Magpies in July 2007, where he was designated captain by then-manager Sam Allardyce.
Although Michael Owen later became captain, Geremi remained with Newcastle for two and a half seasons, making 54 appearances before leaving in 2010.
Geremi then went on to play for Turkish club Ankaragucu and Greek side AE Larisa until retiring in 2011, while remaining associated with Cameroon’s National Union of Footballers.
However, following a disagreement with Barcelona football great and Cameroon FA president Samuel Eto’o, Geremi is now facing a lengthy suspension from all football activities.
During Cameroon’s match against Gambia at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, it was alleged that Geremi was involved in a heated dispute with a member of Eto’o’s staff, which eventually escalated into the duo being forcibly removed.
According to reports in Cameroon, Geremi was later taken from the stadium by security authorities, and as a result, the Cameroonian FA has decided to impose a five-year suspension.
“We declare Geremi Sorel Njitap, president of Synafoc, guilty of violating the rules of our code of ethics,” a statement read, according to the Daily Mail.
“We condemn him to a five-year suspension from all football activities and a fine of ten million West African francs [£13,000]. He has 10 days to file a written appeal.
Daniel Blaise Ngos, Geremi’s assistant, has also received a two-year suspension and a £6,500 punishment for the incident.
It is expected that the former Premier League player will appeal the verdict in the following days, and he is willing to take it to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) if required.
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