Portugal football coach sacked

Carlos Queiroz, head coach of Portugal, has been sacked by the Portuguese Football Federation [GALLO/GETTY]

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has been sacked by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) in the wake of his six-month ban for insulting anti-doping agents before this year’s World Cup.

“Carlos Queiroz’s contract is settled (ended) with immediate effect,” Gilberto Madail, president of the FPF, told a news conference on Thursday.

The federation gave the coach a one-month suspension in late August but Portugal’s anti-doping authority later extended the ban to six months.

Queiroz admitted exchanging harsh words with anti-doping doctors during their surprise visit to Portugal’s training camp in May.

The coach said he was simply expressing his annoyance as his players’ rest was disturbed. He had vowed to appeal the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Replacement

Madail said the FPF will begin searching for a replacement to take charge of the team before next month’s Euro 2012 qualifiers at home to Denmark and away to Iceland.

Portugal are second from bottom of Group H with one point from their first two qualifiers having lost 1-0 in Norway on Tuesday following a 4-4 draw at home to Cyprus on Friday.

Their poor start occurred with the team’s key player, winger Cristiano Ronaldo, missing because of an ankle injury and with the banned Queiroz having to watch from the stands.

Agostinho Oliveira, who took charge as interim coach, said the controversy surrounding Queiroz was not the reason for the team’s poor performance in their opening match.