Football
Tom Marshall, Mexico correspondent 4y

America's Miguel Herrera cops three-game ban for explicit tirade aimed at referee

MEXICO CITY -- Club America head coach Miguel Herrera escaped with a three-game ban after insulting the referee in front of journalists following his team's 5-2 loss to Cruz Azul last Saturday in Estadio Azteca.

Herrera was sent from the bench in the 83rd minute of the game told awaiting journalists to ask the "F------ ref" about the game as he walked past the mixed zone. The comment came at a time when Liga MX is attempting to stamp out the anti-gay chant aimed towards opposition goalkeepers taking goal-kicks.

The America coach apologized in a video on Sunday evening, indicating that he will launch a campaign with Las Aguilas to help eradicate the chant.

- Liga MX rule out sanctions for America's Ochoa over spitting incident
- Clasico Nacional shows gap between America, Chivas has widened

"We'll do a strong campaign with Club America so that all of us reject the homophobic chant we hear in [Mexican] football because it is not what we represent as sportsmen," said Herrera.

New rules will be in place for week 15 in Liga MX -- starting on Oct. 25 -- which will see match officials temporarily stop games if the goalkeeper chant is heard, with matches set to be played behind closed doors if the protocol to warn fans isn't successful.

Herrera was banned by Liga MX for "lacking respect towards game officials," but not for discrimination, which would have carried a suspension of up to six games.

Herrera has a history of ill-discipline and was fired from the Mexican national team in 2015 after throwing a punch towards a journalist in Philadelphia.

^ Back to Top ^