5 footballers who were banned for racism

#4: Aleksandar Tonev

Aleksandar Tonev was banned for racism while representing Celtic

Bulgarian winger Aleksandar Tonev might not be the most famous name in football, despite making 23 appearances for his country since debuting in 2011. But perhaps he could be considered infamous, as he was banned for a lengthy period in 2014 by the Scottish FA for using an abusive language of a racist nature.

Tonev was playing for Celtic on a season-long loan from Premier League side Aston Villa, and the winger made his debut in September 2014 in a match against Aberdeen. During this match, Aberdeen defender Shay Logan accused him of hurling racist abuse at him – an allegation that Tonev immediately denied.

The SFA decided to investigate the incident, and deciding that Logan was a “more reliable and convincing witness” than Tonev, they handed the Bulgarian a long seven-match ban. Celtic decided to appeal the decision, claiming Tonev was not a racist, but when the appeal failed, they decided to take the matter no further.

It would be a quick stay at Celtic for Tonev after the ban, as he moved to Italian club Frosinone the following summer on a permanent deal.