Mourinho gets match ban for card debacle

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has escaped with a one-match Champions League ban and a fine after UEFA found him guilty of improper conduct relating to the recent dismissals of players Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos.

Mourinho has been banned from for two UEFA competition matches — the second suspended for three years — with the club fined €120,000 after the two players seemed to deliberately incur second bookings, therefore wiping out previous cautions ahead of the Champions League knockout stage.

Mourinho will consequently only miss the dead rubber against Auxerre. While Mourinho has also been fined €40,000, the players involved have escaped with financial penalties. Alonso and Ramos — who received second yellow cards for conspicuous time wasting — must pay €20,000 each. Goalkeeper Iker Casillas and his reserve Jerzy Dudek, who seemed to pass on messages, must pay €10,000 and €5,000 respectively. The one-match bans automatically handed to Alonso and Ramos for the dismissals will stand.