Soccer:Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has been fined €50,000 and banned for five matches, one of which is suspended, for his behaviour during and after the Champions League semi-final first leg defeat to Barcelona at the Bernabeu.
Real said in a statement that one of the matches would be suspended for three seasons, while the coach has already served one of the remaining four in the second leg of the semi-final, which finished 1-1, giving Barcelona a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Mourinho was sent off in the first leg for challenging the dismissal of midfielder Pepe and afterwards he bitterly criticised the referee and suggested Barcelona get preferential treatment from officials and Uefa.
He also claimed the record of his counterpart, Pep Guardiola, was tainted by questionable refereeing decisions.
He said then: “It’s clear that against Barcelona you have no chance.
“I don’t understand why. I don’t know if it’s the publicity of Unicef \[the club’s shirt sponsor], I don’t know if it’s the friendship of \[Spanish football federation president Angel Maria] Villar at Uefa, where he is vice-president, I don’t know if it’s because they are very nice, but they have got this power. The rest of us have no chance.
“Guardiola is a fantastic coach, but he has won one Champions League which I would be ashamed to win after the scandal at Stamford Bridge and this year, if he wins it again, it will be after the scandal at the Bernabeu.”
Mourinho was referring to the Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Chelsea in 2009, when the London side had four penalty claims turned down.
The Portuguese coach has a long disciplinary history with Uefa. He was banned from the touchline for two matches in 2005 for alleging then-Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard had influenced referee Anders Frisk, while earlier this season he was banned for one match after appearing to instruct Real players Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to be deliberately sent off.
Pepe was given a one-game ban by Uefa for his red card, which he served in the second leg.
Barca’s substitute goalkeeper Pinto has also been suspended for three matches, with one served, so he will miss the final against Manchester United at Wembley on May 28th.
Pinto incited a scuffle between the two camps at halftime after he raised his hand to Alvaro Arbeloa as the Real defender left the field.
