ADELAIDE United coach Aurelio Vidmar has received a club-imposed suspension of two matches and a fine of $10,000 for the inappropriate comments he made during the week.
Vidmar was asked by a journalist on Thursday whether he was too soft on his players and in turn he gave the following response: "What would you like me to do, chop their heads off? I can do that, we'll go to Saudi Arabia and we can do that."
Reds CEO Sam Ciccarello said while the club recognised the comments were flippant and made in jest, they were also inappropriate and in poor taste.
The two-match ban will encompass all match-day activities which will mean Vidmar is not allowed into any technical area including the change rooms and field of play 90 minutes before the start of the game and up to an hour after the final whistle.
"We expect from all our representatives, whether it be players, staff or officials the highest level of professional decorum and for all of us to behave in a dignified and professional manner," Ciccarello said.
"We accept that Aurelio had a poor choice of words in his response, we accept that he is contrite, he has apologised publicly and to the governing body and to the club.
"We accept this matter is now dealt with, the FFA will not be taking any further action, there'll be no further sanctions considered under the governing body's national code of conduct."
The FFA-approved fine will include $5,000 to be paid immediately and directly to a 'community endeavour' and the other $5,000 suspended until the end of the 2010-11 season.
Vidmar said he was prepared to 'take his medicine' for his poor response on Thursday and felt he was probably on his last chance with the club.
"I think I've had two strikes now so I'm sure three strikes and you are out," Vidmar said.
"I need to understand and realise I'm one of many faces of the club and behaviour like that is unacceptable so I need to get better and I will get better.
"I don't know why, it just happened. It was a spur of the moment and I think because it was an off the cuff comment I didn't think too much of it but I also realised after that we are dealing with quite a sensitive society. So I really need to choose my words more aptly anyway.
"It's a bit of a kick in the teeth for me.
"I lost my cool absolutely but I'm still in control and I'm still very focussed on doing a job. All I've got to do is control my emotions, that's all I've got to focus on."
Vidmar said the ban shouldn't affect the players too much on match day.
"I think that most of our work is certainly done during the course of the week as it was this week and when you look at last night's game we got everything out of it except the final result. There isn't a heck of a lot a coach can change while the game is going on," he added.
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