Maradona banned from football for two months – FIFA

Diego Maradona was banned from all football for two months by FIFA on Sunday over his sexually-explicit rant last month.

The Argentina coach, who was also fined 25,000 Swiss francs (24,691 dollars, 16,565 euros), fell foul of world football’s governing body after losing his cool with journalists following Argentina’s qualification for the World Cup

Maradona’s outburst came after Argentina’s 1-0 win over Uruguay in October, which allowed the two-time world champions to squeeze narrowly into next year’s finals after a low-key and tense qualifying round.

The 48-year-old sporting icon, a hero in Argentina after skippering the 1986 World Cup winning team, told journalists to “suck it and keep sucking it”.

A FIFA statement said: “The sanction applies from 15 November 2009 to 15 January 2010.”

During the disciplinary hearing, Maradona “apologised to FIFA and the world football family.”