By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld has been suspended for two FIFA World Cup qualifiers for making an offensive gesture at the referee during the home fixture with Norway last month.
The veteran German (pictured top and below) will be forced to miss the Group E back-to-back games against Cyprus.
“This decision cannot be appealed and is therefore final and binding,” FIFA said in a statement announcing its disciplinary panel’s ruling.
FIFA also ordered Hitzfeld to pay a 7,000 Swiss francs (£4,700/$7,450/€5,800) fine plus 1,000 Swiss francs (£670/$1,100/€830) in costs for the disciplinary process.
The Swiss media published images of Hitzfeld making a hand gesture in the first half of the 1-1 draw against Norway in Bern.
Hitzfeld later expressed his frustration at decisions made by Spanish referee David Fernández Borbalán.
Switzerland are unbeaten and lead their group by three points from Norway.
The two Cyprus games are on March 23 next year, with the return on June 8.
Hitzfeld has coached Switzerland since 2008 after an illustrious club coaching career that began in his adopted country.
He returned to Germany and won the Champions League in 1997 with Borussia Dortmund and in 2001 with Bayern Munich.
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