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Napoli striker Higuain's four-match ban cut to three

Football Soccer - Udinese v Napoli - Italian Serie A - Friuli stadium, Udine, Italy - 3/4/16 Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain reacts after receiving red card. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini

Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain's four-match ban for violently protesting on the pitch about a red card was cut to three on appeal on Friday but the 20,000 euro ($23,000) fine stood, the Italian FA said on its website on Friday. (www.figc.it) It gave no reason for the decision. The 28-year-old Argentine pushed the referee and shouted at him before being removed from the field by his team mates during Napoli's 3-1 loss to Udinese on April 3. Higuain, a Serie A top scorer, will be back in time to help his team hold off third-placed AS Roma, who are trailing Napoli by six points. Napoli, six points behind league leaders Juventus, on Saturday face fourth-placed Inter Milan, who are still hoping to get a place in next season's Champions League. (Reporting by Silvia Recchimuzzi in Gdynia; Editing by Louise Ireland)