Portugal suspended coach Carlos Queiroz for one month on Thursday and fined him 1,000 euros (US$1,300) for insulting anti-doping agents before the soccer World Cup, but cleared him of obstructing anti-doping activity.
Queiroz had admitted exchanging harsh words with anti-doping doctors during a surprise visit to Portugal’s World Cup training camp in May, but said he was simply expressing his annoyance at having his players’ rest disturbed.
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) said on its Web site that its disciplinary council “considered partially valid the accusation against Queiroz.”
It dismissed a charge of obstructing the agents, which could have cost the coach his job.
“The FPF management laments the remarks made by the national squad coach” to anti-doping officials, the federation said.
The suspension means Queiroz will miss Portugal’s 2012 European Championship qualifiers at home to Cyprus on Sept. 3 and away to Norway four days later.
During his absence, the squad will be coached by assistant manager Agostinho Oliveira.
Queiroz complained last month he was being subjected to a “public lynching” as details of the inquiry into the incident that happened in May were leaked to the media.
Disrupting doping tests is punishable by law, either with a fine of up to 10,000 euros or a suspension of up to four years.
Queiroz, who has two years of his contract to run, was appointed in August 2008 to replace Luiz Felipe Scolari.
His side made a disappointing second-round exit to eventual winners Spain at the World Cup in South Africa.
Last week, Queiroz called Alex Ferguson, who he worked under as an assistant at Manchester United for six years, former Portugal international Luis Figo and the club presidents of Porto and Benfica as character witnesses at the FPF hearing.
Queiroz’s first spell as coach of Portugal ended in acrimony after he failed to qualify the side for the 1994 World Cup and he subsequently resigned and criticized the federation.
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