Portugal coach suspended for six months
Portugal national team head coach Carlos Queiroz has been suspended for six months after the country’s Sports Institute determined that he insulted an anti-doping team who were testing his squad ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The announcement may put his job at risk as he will miss Portugal’s first four UEFA 2012 European Football Championship qualifying games.
The institute, which governs the National Anti-Doping Agency, ruled that 57-year-old Queiroz had disrupted the test and that his aggressive manner towards the team had disrupted its work. It sent its findings to the Portuguese Football Federation today, in a 31-page report.
The PFF last month suspended the manager for one month as a result of his misconduct during the incident in May. However, it said during a hearing that former Real Madrid coach Queiroz had used foul language but had not disrupted the testing procedure.
Failed to carry out test
The Sports Institute conducted its own inquiry into the matter. It heard evidence from all involved parties and concluded that Queiroz had disrupted the anti-doping team with his conduct and one of the testers later failed to carry out a test properly.
Neither Queiroz or the PFF have commented on the decision to suspend him.
Queiroz had been slammed by the media in Portugal for the national side’s showing at the World Cup. Although they progressed through their group alongside Brazil, they were dumped out of the competition in the round of 16 by eventual winners Spain. Queiroz has claimed that the charges — which he has previously denied — have been made against him in a bid to force him out of his job after the disappointing performance in South Africa.
Queiroz's assistant Agostinho Oliveira will take charge of the squad for the Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Cyprus tomorrow and Norway on Tuesday, while Portugal’s group also includes Denmark and Iceland.
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