France goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was given a three-month ban Friday for spitting on a Moroccan referee when Olympique Marseille played a friendly match in Casablanca in February.
"He didn't spit in his face but he certainly did spit at the official," said French federation disciplinary committee chairman Jean Mazzella.
Barthez, 33, faces an additional three-month ban for any further offences.
Mazzella said he could have been punished with a six-month ban.
And Bernard Saules, president of the French referees' union, hit out at the ban.
"I'm furious. The minimum is six months and he gets away with three. It's making fools of us," he said.
A six month ban would have prevented Barthez from starting the 2005-2006 season with Marseille on July 30 and could have led to him to bring forward his retirement date.
A three-month ban deprives Marseille of their goalkeeper as they try to pull out of a slump and hang onto the third qualifying spot in the French league for next season's Champions League.
Marseille coach Philippe Troussier admitted: "It's bad news for us. As of Monday, he won't play for us again this season.
Barthez will be allowed to play for Marseille against Nantes this weekend.
France can also pick their first-choice goalkeeper when the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign resumes in September with key away matches in Ireland and Switzerland.
He could also be called up for a friendly with Argentina in Paris on August 17.
"I knew I'd be sanctioned," Barthez said.
"During these three months I will carry on working as I have done since I was 18. I'll prepare for the next season with Olympique Marseille and get ready for the national team because my goal is to play in the World Cup."
Royal Moroccan football federation director Mohamed Gartili said from Rabat: "He got off lightly. He should have had a heavier sentence."
France, who have tried unsuccessfully to get Zinedine Zidane to return to international football, next play the Faroe Islands on September 3 before travelling to Ireland on September 7 and Switzerland on October 8.
The 1998 World and Euro 2000 champions, are going through difficult times after drawing four of their opening six qualifiers.
Having won their other two games, against Cyprus and the Faroe's, France top Group 4 on equal points with Israel, but Switzerland and Ireland are a point behind with a game in hand.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper, who won the European Cup with Marseille in 1993, has already said he will retire after the 2006 World Cup.
An ill-tempered friendly between Marseille and Wydad Casablanca was abandoned after Barthez ran off the bench to confront international referee Abdellah El Achiri.
Video replays clearly show Barthez raising his arms toward the referee - although no physical contact was made - and then spitting on him.
Barthez has won 73 caps since his debut against Australia in May 1994, making him the longest-serving French goalkeeper.
He became first choice for the 1998 World Cup, which France won by beating Brazil 3-0 in the final, and was also a member of the side that won Euro 2000.
Barthez, whose spitting image puppet character is always cracking goofy jokes, became one of the symbols for France's 1998 World Cup triumph not just for his goalkeeping but because defender Laurent Blanc kissed his shaven head before every match.
He started his career at Toulouse in 1990 before joining controversial tycoon Bernard Tapie's Marseille, winning the European Cup in his first season.
However, Marseille were stripped of their French title because of a match-rigging scandal, barred from the European Cup and relegated for financial irregularities.
After helping Marseille win promotion, Barthez moved along the Riviera to Monaco in 1995, winning two league titles in five years before joining Manchester.
He was often brilliant during his four-year spell at Old Trafford but manager Alex Ferguson finally lost patience with his blunders and bought American keeper Tim Howard, who has proved no better.
And it was said his relationship with top model Linda Evangelista broke down because she did not like north-west England.