FIFA suspends Mexico’s coach from Gold Cup
Mexico is holding most of its top players out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and now it will play the 12-team tournament without its coach as well after FIFA suspended Manager Juan Carlos Osorio for six games on Friday for his actions in the third-place match of the Confederations Cup last week in Russia.
Mexico, which begins Gold Cup group play against El Salvador on Sunday in San Diego, would play six games if it reaches the tournament final July 26 in Santa Clara. Mexico is the defending tournament champion.
FIFA ruled that Osorio, a Colombian who is 20-4-5 as Mexico’s coach, “used insulting words towards the match officials while displaying an aggressive attitude towards them.” Osorio was expelled late in the 2-1 loss to Portugal after he confronted the fourth official on the sideline, arguing a decision by referee Fahad Mirdasi who did not award a penalty against Portugal when Mexico’s Hirving Lozano appeared to be fouled in extra time.
A statement from the FIFA disciplinary committee read: “After taking into account all circumstances of the case, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided that Mr Osorio is regarded as having breached article 49.1 a) of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.” Given the gravity of the incident, the statement continued, “Osorio is to be suspended for six official matches and has also been sanctioned with a warning and a fine.”
If Mexico is eliminated before the Gold Cup final, Osorio would serve the remainder of his suspension in Mexico’s next official matches, beginning with World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Costa Rica in September.
The Mexican federation did not immediately announce who would fill Osorio’s role during his suspension.
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