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China midfielder Sun Jihai has insisted he does not plan to quit international football despite being handed a five-game suspension by FIFA.

The 30-year-old Manchester City player was also fined 7,000 Swiss francs (£3,450) for verbally abusing Lebanese referee Talaat Najm as China lost 1-0 to Qatar to a controversial penalty to scupper their hopes of reaching the final round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

But Sun is adamant he will not retire from the international game yet, saying: "Yes, it will be a long time before I show up for the national team again, but anything is possible. I am not quitting yet and I still have the ambition to play for the national team."

The ban - which rules him out of the forthcoming Olympics in Beijing, where he could have played as one of three over-age players - surprised Sun.

"I just said some words, which are usually heard in the Premier League. I did not verbally abuse him or insult him," he explained.

"I do know I did something wrong at the time, but in the past China has been disadvantaged by the referee's whistle.

"I have nothing to say as China is a constant underachiever in soccer. But I still believe the referee at that match had problems with his whistle."

Sun looks set to leave Manchester City following the arrival of new manager Mark Hughes but intends to continue playing in Europe next season.

"I still hope to play in European leagues," he said. "The 2008 Euros show they are playing the best soccer in the world."

Which is exactly why he doesn't belong in them.

does the ban extend to premiership games (crosses fingers and toes)

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