The 26-year-old had previously admitted the charge of violent conduct and was fined £25,000 at the personal hearing.

Earlier this year, Barton was handed a four-month suspended prison sentence for the attack on Dabo in May 2007 when the pair were at Manchester City.

Since the training ground assault on Dabo, who now plays for Lazio, Barton has been jailed for a drunken attack on revellers in Liverpool city centre.

He was released from prison in July after serving 74 days of his sentence for attacking a teenager.

The BBC website quotes a statement from the independent regulatory commission Chairman Maurice Armstrong.

It reads: "The commission members considered principally the serious attack by Mr Barton that clearly cannot be accepted.

"The members also had to take into consideration the sanctions imposed by the courts and the pro-active support Mr Barton has received from Newcastle United and other professional bodies.

"The commission members wanted to punish the offence appropriately but give Mr Barton an opportunity to ensure his professional conduct does not falter again and ensure he is fully aware of the consequences should he make another serious error of judgment."