IF anyone is in any doubt about where the priorities lie in the world of modern football, they should look at the punishment handed out to Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner yesterday.

Bendtner, on loan at Sunderland last season, was fined £100,000 and suspended from a World Cup qualifier after revealing a pair of underpants sponsored by a bookmaker.

The bookies’ branding was revealed after Bendtner scored against Portugal in Euro 2012. He claimed it wasn’t deliberate but he will know next time to keep his shorts pulled up.

Compare his punishment, however, to the Croation federation being fined just £25,000 after fans threw fireworks and missiles and invaded the pitch during the match against Ireland.

Meanwhile, racist incidents at Euro 2012 have so far remained unresolved.

Football is big business and protecting the rights of sponsors is far more important than sending out a strong message that violence and racism will not be tolerated.

At least, that’s the way it seems.

Out of order

AND while we’re on the subject of punishments in sport, why is there any argument about whether it was right to disqualify Argentinian tennis player David Nalbandian from the final of the Aegon Championships?

Nalbandian’s bad-tempered recklessness in kicking a wooden panel and injuring a linesman has led to a police investigation, a piddly maximum fine of only £6,400 and the withdrawal of his £36,500 prize money.

Nalbandian clearly didn’t mean to hurt linesman Andrew McDougall but what he did made John McEnroe look well-mannered.

The tournament organisers had no choice but to turf him out.