Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho had a suspended one-match ban dropped Monday and his team's fine was also reduced on appeal after claims he instructed players to deliberately get red cards so they could serve bans in a meaningless game.
Mourinho is suspended for Wednesday's Champions League game against Auxerre, but UEFA's appeals body rescinded a further one-match ban which was to be imposed if he was found guilty within the next three years of what it called ''improper conduct.''
UEFA reduced Madrid's overall fine for its actions in the 4-0 win at Ajax on Nov. 23 from €120,000 ($160,000) to €100,000 ($133,000). Mourinho's fine was reduced €10,000 ($13,300) to €30,000 ($40,000).
Fines against Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek all stood, as did Alonso and Ramos' one-match suspensions. The pair will still start the knockout rounds in February with a clean slate.
Mourinho had denied the accusations but footage of the match showed him apparently sending instructions from the bench immediately before Alonso and Ramos received second yellow cards for time-wasting late on. Casillas and Dudek apparently passed on Mourinho's orders.
It is not the first time Mourinho has been punished by UEFA for incidents in the Champions League.
When he coached Chelsea, UEFA banned him from the touchline for two matches in 2005 after he accused Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard of visiting Swedish referee Anders Frisk at halftime in the first leg of a round-of-16 clash.
