FIFA handed Argentina coach Diego Maradona a two-month ban from all soccer activities on Sunday for his expletive-filled rants after his team qualified for the 2010 World Cup. Maradona will miss Argentina's exhibition against the Czech Republic scheduled for Dec. 16, but he avoided sanctions that would have kept him from coaching at next year's World Cup in South Africa. He also was fined $24,250. A disciplinary panel for world soccer's governing body heard the 49-year-old coach give evidence during a three-hour hearing on Sunday before excluding him from soccer until Jan. 15. FIFA said Maradona apologized to the world soccer family during his 40-minute appearance before the panel, which had the authority to ban him from World Cup matches in South Africa next year. "The committee took into consideration the apologies, and the sincere remorse shown by Maradona, in its decision," FIFA said in a statement. The 1986 World Cup-winning captain launched his profane tirade at media critics after Argentina beat Uruguay 1-0 in its final qualifier last month in Montevideo. FIFA president Sepp Blatter referred the outburst to the governing body's disciplinary panel, which opened a case and invited Maradona to explain his behavior. Maradona arrived at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich direct from Madrid, where his team was beaten 2-1 by European champion Spain in an exhibition on Saturday. He arrived 50 minutes after the meeting's scheduled start time, waving from the back seat of a limousine to journalists and a small group of flag-waving Argentina supporters. He left more than 2 1/2 hours later, looking more serious after having been told his punishment. The panel had to decide whether Maradona had breached Article 58 of FIFA's discipline code by "(offending) the dignity of a person or group of persons through contemptuous, discriminatory or denigratory words." That offense carries a mandatory five-match stadium ban which, if applied to competitive matches, would have sidelined him until after the World Cup quarterfinals stage. Maradona, however, was judged by Article 57 relating to "offensive gestures or language." "The committee stressed that any breach of this decision or any repetition of a similar incident would mean that stronger sanctions would have to be imposed," FIFA said. Maradona is likely to return for a March 3 exhibition against Germany in Munich. Revered by fans in Argentina, he has had a tense relationship with Argentine media since becoming national team coach a year ago, midway through a stuttering qualifying campaign. His team then lost four of its next six qualifiers, including a 6-1 thrashing in Bolivia and a 3-1 home loss to old rival Brazil, before winning its final two matches to clinch its passage to South Africa.
