AFC fine Shanghai coach Villas-Boas and Evergrande

SHANGHAI: Shanghai SIPG coach Andre VillasBoas (pic) has been fined US$14,000 (RM59,000) over his “offensive” comments during the AFC Champions League quarterfinals, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said.

The Portuguese coach, who will be on the bench for today’s semifinal first leg at home against Urawa Red Diamonds, brought the game into disrepute, the AFC ruled.

The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur manager made a series of stinging criticisms about the AFC and the referee following a thrilling quarterfinal return leg at Guangzhou Evergrande earlier this month.

VillasBoas also accused the home side of staging a series of minor car accidents on the way to the match at the twotime Champions League winners.

Evergrande have declined to comment on the allegation, but the AFC said in a statement that their disciplinary and ethics committee had decided to fine VillasBoas “for his offensive words at the referee and comments made at the postmatch press conference”.

“The fine of US$14,000 is for a firsttime violation and a repeat infringement will lead to a more severe punishment,” warned the AFC.

Evergrande won 51 on the night, making it 55 on aggregate, before VillasBoas’ side shaded it 54 on penalties to set up a lastfour showdown with Urawa Reds.

VillasBoas was delighted to steer SIPG into the semifinals of the Champions League for the first time, but furious at a series of perceived injustices.

As well as sending off two SIPG players in extra time, Iranian referee Alireza Faghani also booked their goalkeeper Yan Junling during the penalty shootout, which will rule him out for the first leg of the semifinal.

“It’s a disgrace, it’s a disgrace,” VillasBoas exclaimed of the yellow card dished out to Junling, while also saying that Evergrande “is dominating the AFC because this club can do everything”.

“They can block hotels, cause people to have accidents in front of us.”

The AFC separately fined Evergrande US$15,000 (RM63,000) after the club “failed to attend and fully participate in an official event” during the first leg in Shanghai. It was not immediately clear what event the AFC were referring to. — AFP