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Dodomeki
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- Dismissal follows 1-0 defeat to Norway and draw with Cyprus
- Queiroz serving six-month suspension for alleged misbehaviour
Carlos Queiroz was sacked as Portugal coach on Thursday after a disciplinary feud sparked by a six-month ban for insulting officials from the country's anti-doping body.
LISBON, Portugal (AFP) - Carlos Queiroz was sacked as Portugal coach on Thursday after a disciplinary feud sparked by a six-month ban for insulting officials from the country's anti-doping body. The former Manchester United boss, who took over in July 2008, also paid a heavy price for a loss of form that saw his team struggle to reach the World Cup and pick up just a point from their opening two Euro 2012 qualifiers.
"The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) has decided unanimously to end the contract of national coach Carlos Queiroz," FPF president Gilberto Madail told a news conference. The decision was taken "following recent events and after analysing the actual situation concerning the nationalo coach," added Madail, without giving precise details.
Queiroz was serving a six-month ban, which he had described as "erroneous and abusive", for hindering dope testers who had turned up to test his players at a pre-World Cup training camp in May. Portugal were knocked out by Spain in the last 16 of the World Cup.
Their campaign to reach the Euro 2012 finals has suffered a nightmare start with a 4-4 home draw against lowly Cyprus followed by a 1-0 defeat against Norway on Tuesday. The 57-year-old Queiroz had been under contract until 2012, after succeeding Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari in 2008. It was his second spell in charge, having also held the reins from 1991 until 1993.
The FPF aded that it would immediately start the process of identifying a successor "if possible, in time to prepare the team for the next two Euro 2012 qualifiers" in October against Denmark and Iceland. Former international player and Sporting Lisbon coach Paulo Bento has already been tipped by the Portuguese media to take over from Queiroz.
