Rooney wins appeal

Thursday, 08/12/2011

Wayne Rooney has won his appeal against his three-match international ban.

The England striker has had his ban reduced to two games following a hearing in Switzerland attended by the player, a team of FA lawyers and boss Fabio Capello.

This means Rooney can now play in the Three Lions final Euro 2012 group stage match against joint hosts Ukraine.

Rooney received the ban after being sent off for kicking Montenegro defender Miodrag Dzudovic in England's final qualifier.

Dzudovi wrote to UEFA asking them to be lenient with Rooney, whose ban for a third game has been suspended for four years.

Rooney will miss England's games against France and Sweden and has had to agree to do one day's community service on a UEFA project.

Boss Fabio Capello had been expected to pick Rooney for his Euro 2012 squad no matter what the outcome of the appeal.

Bookies reacted instantly to the news by cutting Rooney's odd on being the tournament's top scorer - and made England joint third favourites with Holland to win Euro 2012, behind Spain and Germany.

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