SAO PAULO -- Internacional defender Víctor Gabriel has been suspended from Brazilian soccer until Cruzeiro forward Gabriel Pec returns to training after a broken leg. The sanction was handed down by Brazil's Superior Court of Sports Justice, the highest independent body for sports discipline.

The court deemed a standard penalty insufficient given the severity of the incident. Pec suffered a left tibia fracture in a challenge from Víctor Gabriel on July 22. While the suspension is capped at 180 days, it could end sooner if Pec clears medical tests.

Víctor Gabriel told the court he had no intention of causing injury to Pec, who played for LA Galaxy before joining Cruzeiro for a club‑record fee of at least $12 million during the World Cup break. He apologized for the impact on the club.

The ruling can be appealed. Gabriel was charged with violent play under Article 254 of the Brazilian Code of Sports Justice, and the extended penalty was applied under a provision allowing an offender's suspension to match the injured player's recovery time. The decision was not unanimous; one adjudicator initially voted for a standard six‑match suspension, but the court president Jorge Octavio Lavocat Galvão and others enforced the longer penalty.