Rio de Janeiro, Oct 22

Former Brazil international midfielder Juninho Pernambucano has been suspended for two Campeonato Brasileiro football matches after being found guilty of separate misconduct charges.

A Rio sports tribunal handed the 38-year-old one-match bans for a reckless tackle and making an obscene gesture to fans during Vasco's 1-1 draw with Flamengo at the Maracana stadium earlier this month, reports Xinhua.

He will miss the Rio outfit's trip to Ponte Preta Sunday and the home clash against Coritiba Nov 3.

Vasco are currently 17th in the league standings with just 33 points from 30 matches. The bottom four clubs - from 17th to 20th - will be relegated to Serie B in December.

Juninho has been one of Vasco's few form players since rejoining the club in July after a six-month spell with Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls.

By:IANS