Portugal in crisis over Scolari ban

Ian Fuge
Friday September 21, 2007
The Guardian

The Portuguese FA will hold an emergency board meeting next week to discuss the four-match suspension Uefa has imposed on their national coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, for lashing out at the Serbian defender Ivica Dragutinovic after the sides drew 1-1 in their Euro 2008 qualifier on September 12.

With Portugal in third place in Group A and Scolari set to miss all four of their remaining matches, Gilberto Madail, the federation's president, said the ban was "a heavy sanction for the Portuguese team". He added that Scolari would appeal.

"I met with Scolari for about two hours to share some thoughts on the problem and decided to convene an emergency meeting of directors for Monday," Madail said. Scolari, who sat next to Madail at the meeting with reporters, said: "Although I have recognised with all honesty my mistake, I think the sanction is excessive."

Dragutinovic, who was shown a red card at the end of the match, was given a two-match ban for improper conduct.

Gheorghe Hagi resigned yesterday as coach of Steaua Bucharest in circumstances similar to those that forced Jose Mourinho's exit from Chelsea only a day earlier. Hagi said he was quitting the Romanian club - who are in Group H of the Champions League alongside Arsenal - because of ongoing tensions with their owner, Gigi Becali. "I've had enough," said Hagi after Steaua lost their Champions League match 2-1 away to Slavia Prague on Wednesday. "There was indescribable tension. I felt tortured at Steaua."

Hagi, widely considered Romania's greatest footballer, frequently clashed with the outspoken Becali, and recent public rows had further soured their relationship in recent weeks. Becali accused Hagi of being ill-prepared for the job.

Milan's Paolo Maldini has warned the club's Ultra fans to stop their verbal abuse of players after they jeered the goalkeeper, Dida, and the striker, Alberto Gilardino, during Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League win over Benfica at San Siro. "I'm very angry, as are my team-mates," the veteran defender told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "After all that we've given, done and won, we deserve to be treated differently."

Saulius Mikoliunas has been suspended for Lithuania's next two Euro 2008 qualifiers after Uefa found him guilty of diving to win a penalty in the 3-1 loss to Scotland on September 8.