MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho was slapped with a two-match touchline ban Friday for insulting the referee during a Spanish Cup match. The disciplinary committee of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) said the sanction was for “speaking to the referee in a contemptible way” during Wednesday's match against Real Murcia, won 5-1 by Real. Spanish sports newspapers said the referee, Jose Luis Paradas Romero, expelled Mourinho in the 37th minute after he told him to “Go to Hell.” The punishment will prevent the Portuguese coach from giving instructions to the team from touchline during Real's league match away to Sporting Gijon Sunday and at home to Malaga on Nov. 20. “It is better that I am punished than an important player,” Mourinho told Cadena Ser radio late Thursday. “Football is full of situations in which you lose control. The Murcia game was very easy to referee but I don't want to apologize.” Zidane adviser to Real Former France great Zinedine Zidane has been appointed as a special adviser to Real Madrid's first team. “Zidane will be readily available to the president and coach for all matters concerning Real Madrid's first team with whom he will keep in frequent contact,” the Spanish league leader said on its website Friday. “He will participate in Champions League events and functions. “He will also travel with the team on a regular basis ... and will participate in pre-match gatherings, training sessions and meetings with the head coach (Jose Mourinho).” Mourinho made an appeal last month for the former Real midfielder to work more closely with the team, rather than operating as an adviser to club president Florentino Perez. Zidane, a triple world player of the year, retired after being sent off in the 2006 World Cup final. Serie A players to strike Serie A players agreed Friday to strike if a deal on a collective contract with the league is not reached by Nov. 30, throwing the Italian game back into chaos after a September walkout was avoided.
