Arsenal are the new Carling Cup favourites after Man United were thrashed 4-0 by West Ham:
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been banned for one European match by UEFA after he was found guilty of conspiring to get two of his own players sent off in their recent Champions League game against Ajax.
The Portuguese, who won last year’s competition with Inter, has been sanctioned for his role in the controversial dismissals of Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos.
Mourinho has been banned from the touchline for two Uefa competition matches – the second of which is suspended for three years – with the club fined €120,000.
Real were leading 4-0 when the two players seemed to deliberately collect second bookings, therefore meaning they would be suspended for their final group game, but free to play in the Champions League knock-out stage.
Mourinho has also been fined €40,000, wile Alonso and Ramos must pay €20,000 each after both received second yellow cards for conspicuous time-wasting in the game’s closing stages.
Goalkeeper Iker Casillas and his reserve, Jerzy Dudek, who appeared to relay messages from Mourinho’s coaching staff, must pay €10,000 and €5,000, respectively.
The one-match bans automatically handed to Alonso and Ramos for the dismissals will stand, meaning they and Mourinho will consequently only miss the dead rubber against Auxerre.
A Uefa statement on Tuesday added: “An appeal may be lodged against the ruling within three days of the dispatch of the reasoning for the decision.”
Arsenal are the new Carling Cup favourites after Man United were thrashed 4-0 by West Ham:
