Luxemburgo fined for referee outburst
RIO DE JANEIRO - Palmeiras coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo has been fined for calling the referee "a coward" during his team's 1-1 draw against Corinthians 10 days ago.
The former Brazil and Real Madrid coach, who escaped a touchline ban but will have to pay 5,000 reais ($2,212), also said that match official Cleber Wellington Abade had wanted Corinthians striker Ronaldo to score a goal.
Brazil's disciplinary tribunal said on its website that at the end of the game, Luxemburgo told the referee: "Your conscience is not going to let you sleep tonight.
"You were a coward, you gave yellow cards to my whole team. You got what you wanted."
Ronaldo, playing only his second game after a 13-month injury layoff, headed an injury-time equaliser for Corinthians.
"I think he wanted Ronaldo to score a goal," Luxemburgo told the post-match news conference. "He kept awarding free kicks near our penalty area. I think the referee was affected psychologically (by Ronaldo's presence)."
Luxemburgo has often been in trouble for his comments over referees.
In 2006, as coach of Santos, he was banned for saying that the referee was flirting with him during a game.
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"He blew his whistle and looked at me with every decision he made... maybe it was because of my pink shirt," Luxemburgo said at the time.
Last year, he was fined 50,000 reais after being sent off during a Palmeiras match.