Leeds defender Gaetano Berardi has ban reduced

Leeds defender Gaetano Berardi has had his suspension for his red card against Rotherham reduced to two games on appeal.

The 27-year-old Swiss player was shown a straight red in his side's 1-0 Sky Bet Championship defeat at Elland Road on Saturday after being involved in an off-the-ball incident with Leon Best.

Best was dismissed for an apparent elbow in the Leeds man's face, with Berardi - who was left with a bloody nose - joining him for an early bath for his reaction, which included getting feisty with the officials.

Berardi was facing a standard three-game ban but the Football Association on Tuesday confirmed via its Twitter feed the suspension had been reduced to two matches after Leeds' claim that the punishment was excessive had been upheld following an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing.

Although the club appealed over the duration of the ban, a statement on Leeds' website stressed they "did not condone" Berardi's actions and fully accepted his sending off.