Portuguese Footballer Handed Unprecedented 50-Year Ban in Switzerland
By BBC News
A Portuguese footballer playing in Switzerland has been handed a staggering 50-year ban from the sport following a violent outburst during a lower-league match.
Ricardo Ferreira, a 21-year-old defender for Futebol Club in Switzerland’s fourth division, received the extraordinary sanction after a post-match incident involving a referee. According to Swiss newspaper Blick, the disciplinary action follows a series of aggressive and abusive actions taken by the player after his team’s 1-0 defeat to SC Worb.
In the moments following the final whistle, Ferreira reportedly kicked the ball directly at the referee’s head, insulted him, and then threw water at him. The local football association took swift and severe action, suspending him from all football-related activity for five decades — a ban that would only expire when the player turns 71.
“I expected to be suspended for a maximum of one or two years,” Ferreira said in response to the decision. “But 50 years? Football is my life.”
This is not the first time the player has been disciplined for misconduct. Records show Ferreira had previously been suspended for 45 matches due to prior assaults on opponents and match officials.
The latest incident, however, appears to have crossed a threshold, prompting one of the harshest individual sanctions ever seen in European football. The local football governing body has not released a detailed statement but is understood to have taken a zero-tolerance stance on physical and verbal abuse towards referees.
While extreme, the ban highlights growing concern in grassroots football about the safety and treatment of match officials. Across various countries, referees have reported increasing levels of abuse and intimidation, prompting several associations to tighten disciplinary measures.
In Ferreira’s case, the decision effectively ends his competitive playing career — at least within any official structure governed by Switzerland’s football authorities. It remains unclear whether he will attempt to appeal the ruling or seek to continue playing in unaffiliated or recreational competitions.
The incident has sparked debate in Swiss football circles, with some arguing that such a lengthy ban, though unprecedented, sends a clear message about respect for the laws of the game and its officials.
Others have questioned whether rehabilitation and shorter-term suspensions might be more effective, particularly for younger players who may still have time to mature and reform.
Either way, the 50-year suspension stands as one of the most severe punishments ever handed down in modern football history — a stark reminder of the consequences that can follow violent behaviour on the pitch.
