SOCCER:JOSE MOURINHO has been banned for five games for his behaviour during and after Real Madrid's ill-tempered Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona.
Mourinho has already served a one-match ban, during the second leg, and another game is suspended so he will miss Madrid’s first three European matches of next season.
Mourinho was also fined €50,000 by Uefa following his sending-off and incendiary post-match comments, while the Madrid defender Pepe was given a one-game ban, already served in the second leg, for his red card.
The Barcelona reserve keeper, Jose Pinto, who was sent off following a half-time brawl at the Bernabeu, has been given a three-game ban, so will not be eligible for the Champions League final against Manchester United on May 28th.
Real Madrid, who became embroiled in a furious war of words with Barcelona that escalated to include allegations of diving and racism, said they would appeal. “Our coach does not have the full right to defend himself since the declarations which merited the opening of the case, and for which he has been sanctioned, are unknown,” Real Madrid said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Uefa will support incumbent Sepp Blatter in next month’s Fifa presidential election. Blatter will be up against Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam.
And businessman Craig Whyte has completed his takeover of Rangers after acquiring an 85.3 per cent stake in the Scottish Premier League champions.
Today
(3pm unless stated, kick-offs in Irish-time)
English Premier League – Aston Villa v Wigan; Bolton v Sunderland; Everton v Man City; Fulham v Liverpool; Newcastle v Birmingham; Tottenham v Blackpool (5.30pm); West Ham v Blackburn.
Championship (all 12.45pm) – Barnsley v Millwall; Bristol City v Hull; Burnley v Cardiff; C Palace v N Forest; Leicester v Ipswich; Middlesbrough v Doncaster; Norwich v Coventry; Preston v Watford; QPR v Leeds; Reading v Derby; Scunthorpe v Portsmouth; Swansea v Sheff Utd.
League One – Bournemouth v Rochdale; Carlisle v Yeovil; Charlton v Hartlepool; Colchester v Bristol Rrs; Huddersfield v Brentford; Notts Co v Brighton; Oldham v Milton Keynes Dons; Peterborough v Dag Red; Plymouth v Leyton Orient; Sheff Wed v Exeter; Southampton v Walsall; Tranmere v Swindon. League Two – Barnet v Port Vale; Bradford v Crewe; Burton Albion v Acc Stanley; Chesterfield v Gillingham; Lincoln v Aldershot; Macclesfield v Hereford; Morecambe v Northampton; Rotherham v Torquay; Shrewsbury v Oxford Utd; Stevenage v Bury; Stockport v Cheltenham; Wycombe v Southend.
Scottish Premier League – Aberdeen v St Johnstone; Dundee Utd v Motherwell; Hamilton v Hibernian; Inverness CT v St Mirren; Rangers v Hearts (12.45pm). First Division – Dunfermline v Falkirk; Partick v Raith; Queen of South v Dundee; Ross County v Cowdenbeath; Stirling v Morton. Airtricity League, First Division – Salthill Devon v Shelbourne (7pm).
Irish Cup Final – Crusaders v Linfield (2.30pm).
Spanish Primera Liga – A Bilbao v Levante (5pm); Getafe v Almeria (5pm); Hercules v R Santander (5pm); Sporting Gijon v Dep La Coruna (5pm); Valencia v R Sociedad (5pm); Atletico Madrid v Malaga (7pm); Sevilla v R Madrid (9pm).
Italy Serie A – Palermo v Bari (5pm); Roma v AC Milan (7.45pm).
Tomorrow
English Premier League – Man Utd v Chelsea (4.10pm); Stoke v Arsenal (2.05pm); Wolverhampton v West Brom (noon).
Scottish Premier League – Kilmarnock v Celtic (12.45pm).
Welsh Cup Final – Bangor City v Llanelli (2.30pm).
Spanish Primera Liga – Real Mallorca v Villarreal (11am); Barcelona v Espanyol (6pm); Real Zaragoza v Osasuna (8pm).
Italy Serie A (2pm unless stated) – Bologna v Parma; Brescia v Catania; Cagliari v Cesena; Inter Milan v Fiorentina; Lecce v Napoli; Udinese v Lazio, Genoa v Sampdoria, 7.45pm.
