WORLD CUP USA ’94 / THE FIRST ROUND : Irish Coach Among 8 Suspended by FIFA
Jack Charlton, Ireland’s fiery coach, was suspended Saturday by FIFA for his outbursts during Mexico’s 1-0 victory over the Irish at Orlando, Fla. on Friday.
Charlton will have to sit in the stands for the team’s final first-round match, Tuesday against Norway in East Rutherford, N.J.
Charlton and the Irish delegation each were fined $15,000 and forward John Aldridge was fined $1,800 for what officials described as ill-mannered behavior.
FIFA also handed out two-game suspensions to goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca of Italy for illegally handling a shot and tripping a player during Thursday’s victory over Norway and Rigobert Song Bahanag of Cameroon, who was ejected during Friday’s match against Brazil.
The suspensions were among eight announced Saturday. The committee also:
--Suspended Julio Baldivieso and Luis Cristaldo of Bolivia, Alf Inge Haland of Norway, Sergei Gorlukovitch of Russia and Martin Dahlin of Sweden for one game after they each received two yellow cards.
--Fined the Romanian delegation $15,000 for violating advertising rules by allowing a team picture that showed the name of a sponsor on the uniform.
--Fined Italy, Bulgaria, Nigeria and Spain $3,600 each for other advertising infractions.
Pablo Porta, chairman of FIFA’s disciplinary committee, said Charlton was penalized for insulting the referee and a reserve official sitting on the sideline near the Irish team.
At one point during the heated match, Charlton was seen exchanging words with Guillermo Canedo of Mexico, FIFA’s senior vice president and chairman of the World Cup ’94 organizing committee.
Ireland also will be without defenders Denis Irwin and Terry Phelan, who were each banned for one game Saturday after getting their second caution of the tournament during Friday’s match.
FIFA officials have been frustrated by Charlton’s stinging remarks about the World Cup, including complaints about inexperienced officials, lack of water on the field and the extreme heat.
Charlton’s suspension was the first during a World Cup since 1986, when Uruguay’s coach was banned for calling the referee “a murderer.”
