Maradona suspended for 3 matches, fined $2,700

Maradona has been unhappy with the standard of refereeing in UAE. (FILE)

Published Tuesday, December 13, 2011

By Staff

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has been suspended from taking part as coach of Al Wasl coach for the next three matches by the UAE Football Assocation (UAEFA).

Maradona was also slapped a fine of $2,700 after an altercation with Al Ain coach Cosmin Olaroiu after a UAE Pro League match on Friday which Al Wasl lost 2-0.

The punishment was decided by the association’s disciplinary committee after a heated argument Maradona had with Olaroiu, who was also fined.

Al Wasl slipped to fifth in the Etisalat Pro League while Al Ain took second spot after this victory.

Maradona has been continuously ranting against the standard of refereeing in the UAE alleging that there was a conspiracy against him and his team.

“Referees are always making decisions that affect me and my team,” he said earlier.

Maradona was referring to a recent decision by the UAEFA disciplinary committee, in which they decided to suspend one of his players, Darwish Ahmed for “inadequate behaviour” during a match against Al Shabab on December 3.

Speaking ahead of the clash on Friday, he said: “There seems to be some sort of agenda against us, especially from referees.

"The standard of refereeing here is unacceptable. A good referee should never be noticed, they should just do their job and not seek to be celebrities.

"I’m not the only one who thinks this, Fabio Cannavaro, Walter Zenga and the Al Shabab coach (Paolo Bonamigo) all have the same concerns. It is not good for the image of the game here.”

Earlier, the former Argentine coach was furious with referee Abdullah Al Zaabi's officiating of the Emirates Cup match against Al Ain despite winning 1-0 thanks to a super strike from Uruguayan Juan Manuel Olivera.

Maradona launched a similar rant at the match officials following his side's 1-0 loss to Al Jazira in the Pro-League.

“When there was a ball between Al Wasl and Al Ain after somebody had fallen, the ball always went directly to Al Ain,” Maradona told reporters.

“I want to send a message to the referees – I want to help and support them to improve their standards – but we, the players, staff, administration and fans at Al Wasl will fight against them and overcome their decisions to win whatever happens if they are against us, in order to make our goals a reality," he said.

The Argentine also fumed at the lack of fair play on display, claiming the referees need to clamp down on such behaviour.

“I hope the referees improve their standards and become more focussed. I don’t want to complain, I genuinely want to help them raise their game,” he said.

Al Ain coach Cosmin Olaroiu, however, disagreed with Maradona's feelings on the refereeing.

"I really don’t think the referee was on either Al Ain or Al Wasl’s side. His decisions ultimately didn’t affect the result," he said.

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