Argentina coach Diego Maradona was banned for two months and fined 25,000 Swiss Francs (US$24,630) by FIFA on Sunday for his foul-mouthed outburst after last month’s decisive World Cup qualifier in Uruguay.
A disciplinary panel for world football’s governing body heard Maradona give evidence during a three-hour hearing Sunday before excluding him from soccer until Jan. 15.
The 49-year-old coach will miss Argentina’s exhibition against the Czech Republic scheduled for Dec. 16.
Maradona apologized at the hearing, the UK Press Association reported, but it was not enough to avoid a suspension which will run until January 15.
“The committee reached this decision following a three-hour meeting at the home of FIFA in Zurich,” FIFA said in a statement.
“The head coach of Argentina was heard by the committee during 40 minutes and apologized to FIFA and the world football family.
“The committee took into consideration the apologies and the sincere remorse shown by Maradona in its decision, which was communicated to him at the end of the meeting.
“The committee stressed that any breach of this decision or any repetition of a similar incident would mean that stronger sanctions would have to be imposed in the future.”
Argentina have only one match scheduled during Maradona’s two-month ban, a friendly against the Czech Republic on December 16.
It means the ban should have little impact on the South Americans’ preparations for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, which start in June.
The coach had claimed before the disciplinary hearing that “much worse things” have happened in football.
