Queiroz banned for anti-doping insults

LISBON (AFP) – Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has been suspended for a month by the Portuguese Football Association (FPF) on Thursday for insulting anti-doping officials ahead of the World Cup.

Queiroz, who has also been fined 1,000 euros, will be absent from the sidelines for Portugal’s first two Euro 2012 qualifying matches on September 3 against Cyprus and September 7 against Norway.

The former Real Madrid boss was accused of insulting officials, including Luis Horta, the head of the Portuguese anti-doping agency who had come to test players on May 16 before the squad flew out to the World Cup in South Africa.

The FPF’s disciplinary committee were satisfied that the accusations were true but conceded that there was no evidence to suggest that Queiroz had hindered the officials’ attempt to carry out their work in any way.

Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson was among the character witnesses to back his former assistant coach at Old Trafford, who insisted he had simply being trying to protect the privacy of his players.