WORLD CUP USA ’94 / QUARTERFINALS : Brazil’s Leonardo Suspended From Tournament : Penalty: He is also fined about $8,000 for violent elbow against Ramos.

Brazilian defender Leonardo was suspended Wednesday for four games for throwing an elbow that sent American Tab Ramos to the hospital with a fractured skull.

It was the longest suspension in recent memory imposed at a World Cup and means Brazil will be without one of its starting players for the rest of the tournament, even if it reaches the final.

The disciplinary committee of FIFA, soccer’s governing body, said Leonardo was suspended “for violence against another player” and fined 10,000 Swiss francs, about $8,000.

“In terms of recent World Cups, it is the longest suspension,” FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said. “The committee felt the violent behavior of the player deserved this kind of punishment.”

Because of the length of the suspension, it can be appealed. Brazil plays in the quarterfinals against the Netherlands on Saturday.

FIFA is getting tough on violence this tournament, routinely imposing two-game suspensions for a red card, twice what usually is handed out. It topped that early in the tournament with a three-game suspension against Ion Vladoiu of Romania for a blatant hit on a Swiss player, and FIFA said at that time it was the longest suspension at any recent World Cup.

Now comes Leonardo, who threw his right elbow into the left side of Ramos’ head as the two tangled for a ball near the sidelines in the first half of Monday’s 1-0 Brazilian victory in the second round.

Leonardo later apologized and said he did not intentionally hurt Ramos, who was knocked unconscious and hospitalized briefly and is expected to be sidelined for up to six months. Leonardo visited Ramos in the hospital.

If Brazil fails to advance past the Netherlands, Leonardo’s suspension would be completed in a corresponding number of matches in the next South American tournament, FIFA said.

The suspension of Leonardo was only one of a series of penalties imposed by the disciplinary committee.

It suspended two players expelled from second-round matches Tuesday--Italy’s Gianfranco Zola for two matches and Bulgaria’s Emil Kremenliev for one match. Kremenliev’s penalty was less severe because his red card was a combination of two yellows in the same match, not a blatant foul.

Also suspended for one match in the next CONCACAF tournament were Fernando Clavijo of the United States and Luis Garcia of Mexico, for accumulated yellow cards. Both Mexico and the United States have been eliminated from the World Cup.

Zola was fined 5,000 Swiss francs (about $4,000), while Kremenliev, Garcia and Clavijo were fined about $2,500.

In addition, the committee fined the Argentine delegation 10,000 Swiss francs for “unsporting conduct” on the bench during a 3-2 loss to Romania in the second round, and fined the team’s coach another 5,000 Swiss francs for violating advertising restrictions.