Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria

Radja Nainggolan suspended indefinitely by club after smoking on bench

mirror.co.uk, 18 October 2022, 09:31
Former Roma and Inter Milan midfielder Radja Nainggolan has been suspended by Royal Antwerp following his actions on the bench in Sunday's defeat to Standard Liege Radja Nainggolan has been suspended by Royal Antwerp after smoking an e-cigarette on the bench

Royal Antwerp star Radja Nainggolan has been suspended by the Belgian club after he was caught smoking on the subs' bench before a recent league fixture.

The former Roma midfielder was named amongst the substitutes for Sunday's Belgian Pro League clash away at Standard Liege, which Antwerp eventually lost 3-0. And Nainggolan's efforts to sneak in a quick smoke of his e-cigarette before kick-off have also come unstuck as he was spotted by cameras and photographers and caught red-handed.

He has only recently been in hot water with his club after being stopped by Belgian police for driving without a licence - an incident which Antwerp did not comment on publicly. But his latest misdemeanour seems to have crossed the line with club chiefs, who have now suspended him indefinitely for his actions.

A statement on Antwerp's website read: "The club had a conversation with Radja Nainggolan about his general behaviour and how this affects the club and the team. The club has decided to expel Radja from team A indefinitely. Neither the player nor the club will make any further comments on the club. this."

Nainggolan was thrown into the action on Sunday despite his pre-match cigarette, entering the fray at half-time when Antwerp were already trailing by three goals. The decision to suspend the 34-year-old will not have been taken lightly, either, given Antwerp are currently second in the table just a point behind Genk, who they face in a crunch clash on Sunday.

Nainggolan is best remembered for his time at Roma, as well as his colourful and often wacky hairstyles. He has enjoyed a decent career since making his professional debut in 2006, including spells at Piacenza, Cagliari and Inter Milan.

Is Nainggolan's punishment too harsh? Have your say in the comments below.

It was at Inter where he won his sole piece of silverware - the Serie A title in 2020/21, though he was voted into the division's team of the year on four separate occasions. Nainggolan's form in Italy attracted plenty of interest from Premier League clubs, including Manchester United and Chelsea, the latter of whom he turned down despite claiming they offered him more money than Inter did the following summer when he moved to San Siro.

"I have had plenty of chances to leave," he told ESPN at the time. "I am the kind of person who above all needs to live well and be at a club which plays to win, or where I am happy with my life. In Italy, you live really well - I like the culture and way of life here. Chelsea offered me more money [while at Roma in 2017] and they are a big club, yes.

"But I'm interested in waking up in the morning in a place where I feel good and, at the age of 29, winning back all the respect I'd worked 12 years to earn in Italy was not for me.

"There are lots of components - lots to evaluate. I stayed in Italy, with Roma, because I wanted to end in the best way possible. There was Manchester too. There were many things that I was not interested in at all. Of course you are flattered by the interest, but this is how it is."

Read more

Mirror Football's top stories

Neville and Keane on Arsenal title hopes

Klopp apologises to Guardiola

Barca president storms refs room

Shearer slams Sancho for "diving"

Top News

4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Still in the running for European football next season, deposed Serie A champions Napoli meet relegation-threatened Udinese on Monday evening. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Still in the hunt for two trophies this season, Atalanta BC will aim to keep the pressure on Serie A's top five when they visit relegated Salernitana on Monday. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur captain Son Heung-min - like many of his teammates - was found wanting in Spurs' 2-0 Premier League loss to London rivals Chelsea in midweek, where the Lilywhites' fleeting Champions League chances suffered another crushing blow. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Marcus Rashford will reportedly hold showdown talks with the Manchester United hierarchy in a bid to address his struggles during the 2023-24 campaign. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England boss Gareth Southgate is reportedly not considering including Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho in his squad for this summer's European Championship. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Atlanta vs. Minnesota Utd (Sunday, 12.30am) Two sides currently in contrasting form go head to head in the MLS as Atlanta United play host to Minnesota United at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides separated by just one point in the Primeira Liga standings go head to head on Sunday as SC Farense play host to Estoril Praia at the Estadio de Sao Luis. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad vs. Las Palmas (Saturday, 1.00pm) Real Sociedad will be bidding to bounce back from their defeat against Real Madrid when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Monza vs. Lazio (Saturday, 5.00pm) Still vying for a place in Europe thanks to their recent revival, Lazio visit mid-table Monza on Saturday evening. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Dortmund vs. Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) Three days on from their Champions League semi-final first-leg victory in midweek, Borussia Dortmund return to Westfalenstadion to welcome Augsburg for a Bundesliga clash on Saturday afternoon. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Le Havre vs. Strasbourg (Saturday, 2.00pm) Le Havre face Strasbourg at the Stade Oceane on Saturday afternoon in Ligue 1, a game between two sides who are battling against relegation with just three fixtures remaining in the season. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Celtic vs. Hearts (Saturday, 3.00pm) Celtic play host to Hearts on Saturday afternoon looking for the win that will move them a step closer to defending their Scottish Premiership title. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal vs. Bournemouth (Saturday, 12.30pm) Bidding to temporarily go four points clear at the top of the Premier League standings, Arsenal kick off Saturday's action with the visit of Bournemouth to the Emirates Stadium for the lunchtime kickoff. 4 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Braga will be looking to bounce back from last week's loss at Benfica when they play host to Casa Pia at the Estadio Braga Municipal in round 32 of the Primera Liga on Sunday. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Lille host Lyon on Monday at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, knowing that a single point would be enough to officially claim a spot in the Europa League next season at the very least. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Table-toppers Galatasaray will look to maintain their lead in the Turkish Super Lig title race when they host Sivasspor on Sunday evening at Rams Park. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has refused to rule out the suggestion that he has held talks over succeeding Mauricio Pochettino as Chelsea boss. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have reportedly placed Newcastle United's Alexander Isak at the top of their list of forward targets for the summer transfer window. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The fight to avoid relegation intensifies as Gaziantep take on Hatayspor at Gaziantep Stadium on Sunday evening. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides vying for a top-four finish go head-to-head when Istanbul Basaksehir host Kasimpasa at the Basaksehir Fatih Terim Stadium on Sunday afternoon. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord boss Arne Slot remains confident an agreement will be finalised for him to become Liverpool boss despite his admission that nothing is confirmed yet. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Famalicao and Benfica draw the curtains on round 32 of the Primeira Liga when they go head to head at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao on Sunday. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk It will be a crucial match towards the top of the Eredivisie table this Sunday as AZ Alkmaar faces FC Twente, with both continuing to push for a third-place finish. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea Women will attempt to get their title bid back on track when they face Bristol City Women in Sunday's Women's Super League contest. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Luton Town missed the chance to move out of the Premier League relegation zone on Friday evening, as they drew 1-1 with Everton at Kenilworth Road. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal could match a club winning record in the Premier League when they welcome Bournemouth to the Emirates for Saturday's lunchtime kickoff. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti has selected a strong squad for Saturday's La Liga clash with relegation-threatened Cadiz at Bernabeu. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk After suffering a rare home defeat in midweek, Roma will try to retain their grip on a top-five place in Serie A when welcoming Juventus to Stadio Olimpico on Sunday. 3 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City will be looking to break a century-old club record when they welcome Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Etihad Stadium for a Premier League clash on Saturday evening.