Dirty TackleDTotD: Vietnamese defender given 28-match ban for breaking opponent's leg
During a Vietnamese league match in February, Song Lam Nghe An defender Tran Dinh Dong put in a crunching tackle on Hung Vuong An Giang midfielder Nguyen Anh Hung.
Nguyen broke his leg and will be out of action for up to a year, but his assailant will also be facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines as the Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has handed him a hefty 28-game ban.
The 26-year-old defender was also fined 20m dong ($950) and ordered to cover Nguyen's medical costs. The BBC quotes a VFF statement which explains the reason for the exceptionally harsh ban:
"The punishment is meant to be a warning to players throughout the nation, where violent behaviour on the field has gradually become more popular."
Clearly, this punishment will be a deterrent, but it is a startling reflection of the inconsitency of bans in football: apparently a leg-breaking challenge is worth the same penalty as nearly six Nicolas Anelka anti-Semitic gestures.
This has been the Dirty Tackle of the Day: a chronicling of unfortunate events.
