Lippi, Popovic handed bans over stormy ACL football match
Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Former Guangzhou Evergrande coach Marcello Lippi and Western Sydney Wanderers skipper Tony Popovic were both handed match bans on Saturday stemming from their roles in a stormy August Asian Champions League match.
Lippi, the former coach of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning side, was given a four-match ban from club competition by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), while Popovic will be barred from the touch line for two games.
Lippi had stormed the pitch during a knock-out phase match against the Sydney side, angered by late red cards for two of his players.
The Australian squad went on to win the Asian Champions League crown.
Lippi has since stepped aside as coach, after guiding Guangzhou to their fourth consecutive Chinese title in November, and now serves as football director.
He has been replaced as coach by Italy 2006 captain Fabio Cannavaro.
Lippi has already served one of the four games.
He also was fined $5,000, while Popovic was fined $2,000.
