Soccer-PSG to appeal against "ridiculous" Blanc ban

PARIS, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Paris St Germain coach Laurent Blanc has called his one-game ban in the Champions League "ridiculous" and said the club would appeal against the ruling ahead of the game at Bayer Leverkusen next month. Blanc has been sanctioned by organisers UEFA for "inappropriate conduct" after his team came out late for the second half in three of their six group-stage matches. The coach had already been given two warnings before PSG transgressed again at Benfica last month. "I thought it was a joke," Blanc told a news conference after Friday's 2-0 home win over Girondins Bordeaux took his side six points clear at the top of Ligue 1. "I was banned because we came back 30 seconds too late twice and one minute late once. I think this is ridiculous - the club will appeal." PSG visit Leverkusen in a last 16 first-leg tie on Feb. 18 before hosting the return match on March 12. (Reporting by Gregory Blachier; editing by Tony Jimenez; Editing by)