Ireland's Aiden McGeady given six-game Spartak Moscow ban

Spartak Moscow winger Aiden McGeady has been given a six-game ban for striking an opponent and making an offensive gesture as he left the pitch.

McGeady, 27, scored and was sent off in Sunday's 2-1 loss to Mordovia Saransk.

The Republic of Ireland international was dismissed after he reacted angrily to a challenge by Vladimir Bozovic.

McGeady is reported to have then sworn at the home fans as he walked off, and was accused of vandalising a dressing room door at Saransk Stadium.

The Russian Football Union's disciplinary committee reviewed footage of the incident in the Russian Premier League fixture and issued a four-match suspension for his clash with Bozovic, plus a two-game ban for his behaviour after being shown the red card.

The stadium's deputy director, Oleg Sagaydak, confirmed to BBC Russian Service that there were no plans for Mordovia to approach the police about McGeady.

The Scots-born Irishman had given Spartak a sixth-minute lead after a fine run and finish but his sending-off five minutes before the break was to prove costly, as Mordova turned the fixture around with two second-half goals.

The punishment means McGeady, who became the most expensive export from Scottish football when he left Celtic for Spartak in 2010, will miss the final three games of this season, and the opening three games of the next campaign.

Spartak remain in fifth place, the final Europa League qualification spot, after the loss, ahead of Rubin Kazan and Kuban Krasnodar on goal difference.