Romanian midfielder Georghe Hagi faces a career-ending seven-month ban after the Galatasaray veteran spat in a referee's face in a Turkish league match on Saturday.
Hagi (36), who faces a league disciplinary hearing today, said he would quit Turkish football. "Turkey, I'm through with it," he told Turkish daily Milliyet.
"There isn't even a chance in a hundred of me continuing to play next season," he told another newspaper, Sabah, and said he would also miss the World Club Championships in July.
"I'm going to Romania for a holiday, a month or maybe even a year, then I'll take up a post as technical director," Hagi added.
The incident happened when Hagi appeared to have scored the equaliser against Ankarabased Genclerbirligi, only for the referee to first give the goal before disallowing it after consulting the referee's assistant, who had spotted a handball.
Hagi picked up his first card for dissent as he argued furiously and a second yellow card followed soon afterwards.
He then kicked the ball in the air, spat in the official's face and walked on his foot before his teammates retrained him, the Anatolie agency reported. Galatasaray finally won the match 2-1.
Hagi was sent off in last season's UEFA Cup final victory over Arsenal and also in a Champions League match against Monaco this season.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, who Arsenal must beat on Wednesday to be sure of progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, returned to the top of the German Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Energie Cottbus. Borussia Dortmund slipped to second after allowing Freiburg to recover from two goals down to draw 2-2.
Also on Wednesday night Leeds take on Lazio, whose eight-match unbeaten run came to an end at Bologna yesterday. After Fernando Couto was sent off at the end of the first half, their former Lazio striker Giuseppe Signori scored in a 2-0 home win.
This defeat is a serious blow to Lazio's defence of the Serie A title as they are now 11 points behind Roma, who had two-goal striker Vincenzo Montella to thank for a 3-1 victory over 10man Brescia.
Juventus, 1-0 victors at home to Reggina and six points behind Roma, now look the only club capable of denying Fabio Capello's side a first Scudetto for 18 years.
Manchester United's midweek opponents Sturm Graz were also weekend winners, beating Graz AK 2-1 away, but they remain fourth in the Austrian league.
In Spain, Real Madrid re-established their five-point lead at the top of the First Division with a 4-0 demolition of lowly Real Sociedad yesterday. A first-half double from Fernando Morientes, an 82nd minute header by Raul and a neat strike from Steve McManaman gave the European champions an easy win.
The victory took Real to 56 points, five ahead of second-placed Deportivo Coruna, who beat Numancia 4-1 on Saturday. Valencia are third, two points further back following their 1-0 triumph over Osasuna.
Rivaldo scored both goals in Barcelona's 1-1 home draw against Real Mallorca, his 74thminute penalty cancelling out his mistake in turning a free kick into his own net.
