The French Football Federation (FFF) extended a ban on Olympique Marseille goalkeeper Fabien Barthez for spitting at a referee until the end of 2005 on Friday.

"The appeal committee has handed Fabien Barthez a ban until December 31," said the FFF on their website on Friday.

But the statement added that the sanction would be cut to October 15 if Barthez agreed to do community work.

Barthez is now certain to miss France's [Images] last four qualifying games for the 2006 World Cup. The French are due to play their last qualifier when they host Cyprus at the Stade de France on October 12.

The suspension will also lead to speculation about the 33-year-old's future. Barthez had said that he will end his professional career next year.

The goalkeeper was reported for spitting at Moroccan referee Abdellah El Achiri during a friendly between Wydad Casablanca and Marseille in February and was banned for six months, three of them suspended, on April 22.

A brawl erupted on the pitch after Marseille defender Frederic Dehu was sent off and the match was abandoned with 10 minutes left. Barthez, who had been substituted, got off the bench and confronted the referee.

But the FFF appealed against the ruling by its own disciplinary committee, saying it wanted a tougher punishment. According to federation rules, Barthez could have been banned for up to a year.

Dehu, like Barthez, appeared before the FFF's disciplinary committee on Thursday. He was cleared of all charges on Friday.

Barthez has won 75 caps since his international debut against Australia in May 1994.

He announced last month that he would retire at the end of next season after becoming disillusioned with football.

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