KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Coach Andre Villas-Boas has been fined for insulting the match referee after his Shanghai SIPG team won an Asian Champions League quarterfinal against Guangzhou Evergrande.
The Asian Football Confederation says Villas-Boas must pay $14,000 for “bringing the game into disrepute.”
Villas-Boas “insulted the AFC referee” at the post-match news conference, and made comments “questioning the integrity and independence of the AFC and the referees.”
Shanghai, which led 4-0 from the first leg, advanced on a penalty shootout after Guangzhou, coached by Luiz Felipe Scolari, won the second leg 5-1 after extra time.
Tension was high for the return game with Villas-Boas also claiming his team’s bus was delayed getting to the stadium by several staged minor car crashes.
On Wednesday, Shanghai hosts Urawa Reds in the semifinals first leg.
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