Sir Alex
Ferguson
Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson came here on
Tuesday to back former assistant coach at Old Trafford Carlos
Queiroz, the Portugal coach who faces disciplinary sanctions for
allegedly insulting anti-doping officials.
Ferguson arrived at the headquarters of the Portuguese Football
Federation (FPF) in the early afternoon, an AFP journalist
reported, and was due to lend his support to Queiroz, with whom he
worked for five seasons, along with eight other character
witnesses.
Ferguson, under whom Queiroz has twice been assistant from
2002-03 and then from 2004-08, said he had flown over to testify on
Queiroz' behalf because he was a man who had his total respect.
"I'm here to support him (Queiroz) because I know him well and
he's a man of great dignity," said Ferguson, who watched United
outclass Premier League champions Chelsea on Sunday 3-1 in the
Community Shield.
"It's not an easy situation for a man of his reputation, because
reputation is important in football.
"In the world we're in today, doping control has been so
demanding in terms of access to footballers. It puts a terrible
strain on football coaches.
"He should stay (in the Portugal job) because he's good
enough."
The other character witnesses include the respective chairmen of
Benfica and Porto, Luis Filipe Vieira and Jorge Nuno Pinto da
Costa, as well as former international star Luis Figo.
The FPF's disciplinary commission opened a procedure against
Queiroz last month, alleging he insulted anti-doping officials who
had come to test Portugal players on May 16 before the squad flew
out to the World Cup in South Africa.
Media reports suggested that if the commission finds against
Queiroz he could be forced to step down from his post just days
before the Portuguese start their Euro 2012 qualifying programme
against Cyprus on September 3.
Secretary of state for sport Laurentino Dias has dubbed as
"serious" the accusations against Queiroz.
