Wellington Phoenix duo Tim Payne and Oli Sail have been banned for four A-League matches after they broke coronavirus self-isolation rules in Sydney in March.
The pair took a golf cart for a late-night joyride along a public road on March 24 and were stopped by police. Payne was charged with drink driving after reportedly returning a 0.100 breath-alcohol reading, while Sail was not charged.
Football Federation Australia confirmed the sanction on Wednesday with a disciplinary and ethics committee deeming Payne and Sail had breached the national code of conduct.
The Phoenix squad was in two-week isolation as part of plans to continue the A-League season in Australia when the incident took place.
Plans were scrapped that day due to the coronavirus and the Phoenix returned home.
The A-League season is due to resume in mid-July, but the Phoenix are still waiting to receive clearance to enter Australia for their remaining six games.
Phoenix general manager David Dome said he was disappointed with the actions of the players
"Both Payne and Sail understand the gravity of their actions; they know this has impacted the rest of the team and the reputation of the club - to their credit they've worked hard since the incident to repair some of the damage they've caused."
Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay said with the penalties decided, the club can now move forward with resuming the A-League season.
"We can now put this behind us and focus on our upcoming matches - I am confident going forward that both Tim and Oli will be exemplary members of our squad and contribute to our team's success once their suspensions have finished."
The pair have also been fined by the Phoenix.
Days after the incident, Payne apologised for his actions.
"I just want to say I am incredibly sorry and incredibly embarrassed for what I've done," he told NZME.
"I take full responsibility for my actions and for what unfolded on that night. I've let so many people down, including my partner, my family, the club as a whole, and individuals, such as Uffie [Talay] who has given me a chance this season.
"I'm incredibly embarrassed and so sorry that I've let so many people down."
Last week, Payne sent an email via his New Zealand solicitor, admitting his guilt to the Manly District Court to a mid-range drink driving charge and will be sentenced later this month.
