SAO PAULO -- A Brazilian sports tribunal has suspended Chile playmaker Jorge Valdivia for two matches for calling referees "thieves."
Valdivia was found guilty of using the term to describe the officiators in the final of the Sao Paulo state championship last month.
Valdivia wasn't playing in the match, but referee Vinicius Furlan wrote in his report that the player made the accusations in the tunnel that led to the changing rooms at Palmeiras' Allianz Parque.
The ban means Valdivia will miss the first two games of next year's regional tournament. He can still play in the Brazilian league, which began this weekend.
Valdivia's contract with Palmeiras ends in August.