Mourinho and Madrid punished after red card probe
Reuters - Tuesday 30 November 2010, 18:38
ZURICH - Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho
has been given a two-match ban for improper conduct by UEFA
after allegations that two of his players deliberately got sent
off in a Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam.
UEFA on Tuesday also handed out fines related to events in
the Nov. 23 Group G game including 120,000 euros for
Real, 40,000 for Mourinho and lower amounts for players Xabi
Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek.
The second match of Mourinho's European ban has been
deferred for a probationary period of three years.
The latest setback for Real and Mourinho followed the Madrid
side's embarrassing 5-0 defeat by their arch-rivals Barcelona in
El Clasico at the Nou Camp on Monday.
Real have three days to appeal against UEFA's punishment.
Spain internationals Ramos and Alonso were dismissed late in
Real's 4-0 win in the Dutch capital after picking up second
yellow cards for time-wasting.
The sendings-off meant they would serve automatic one-match
suspensions in the final group game against Auxerre, which is a
dead match for Real as they are assured of first place in Group
G and qualification for the last 16.
Both players had accumulated two yellow cards in the group
stage before they were sent off and a further yellow card in a
subsequent game would have meant a one-match suspension during
the knockout rounds.
CARDS STAND
UEFA said the red cards given to Alonso and Ramos would
stand and they have been suspended for one match.
The pair will start the knockout stage with one yellow card
each against their names as the cards picked up before the Ajax
game still stood.
Spanish media reports said the players were acting on
instructions from Mourinho. They said the message was passed by
reserve goalkeeper Dudek during a conversation with first-choice
keeper Casillas.
Spanish television repeatedly replayed a moment during the
match when the pair were seen talking with their hands over the
mouths. Mourinho was also filmed with his hand over his mouth.
Two years ago, UEFA fined Olympique Lyon players Cris and
Juninho 15,000 and 10,000 euros respectively for getting
deliberately booked in a Champions League match against
Fiorentina.
UEFA's disciplinary panel decided the pair had committed
fouls in order to serve a one-match ban during their team's
meaningless final group stage match against Bayern Munich.