Football
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Melbourne City's Dean Bouzanis to face FFA panel for racial slur

Dean Bouzanis has been referred straight to Football Federation Australia's disciplinary and ethics committee for using a racial slur against Melbourne Victory striker Besart Berisha.

The A-League's match review panel has determined the Melbourne City goalkeeper has a case to answer after cameras caught him twice calling Albanian Berisha a "f--king gypsy" late in Saturday night's fiery derby at Etihad Stadium.

A ban of up to five weeks is in the offing, despite City issuing an apology on his behalf and the 26-year-old committing to undergoing an educational course.

The incident occurred after referees conferred to decide whether to award an own goal to City's Manny Muscat in the 86th minute, which handed Victory a 2-1 win.

Berisha celebrated in Bouzanis' face when the goal was given, prompting the goalkeeper to respond with the verbal barrage.

Meanwhile, Tim Cahill has been slapped with a one-match suspension for swearing at a match official after he was red carded around the same time as the Bouzanis incident.

Cahill was a substitute and had not even entered the field of play, which is believed to be the first time that has happened in Australian domestic football history.

Fox Sports pundit Mark Bosnich claimed Cahill had told him after the match he swore at referee Chris Beath and called him an "effing disgrace", in reference to the Muscat own goal.

However, a Fairfax Media report citing sources from the club said that Beath had given the red card in error and should have issued Cahill with a caution instead.

The dual suspensions will leave City hugely depleted for Saturday night's A-League clash against Brisbane Roar, with captain Bruno Fornaroli, Muscat, Osama Malik, Luke Brattan and Fernando Brandan all to serve one-week bans due to accumulation of yellow cards, while defender Michael Jakobsen is injured.

Former Socceroo and A-League coach John Kosmina said it all reflected City's poor mentality.

"When you get that many players sitting on the edge of getting suspended and they all lose it in one game because the pressure's on and things didn't quite go their way... that tells me where their heads are at," he said on Fox Sports.

"They're all over the shop."

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