Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been banned for one Champions League match for instructing players to get deliberate red cards so they could serve suspensions in a meaningless game.

Mourinho was also fine €40,000 for instructing Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos to get sent off in last week’s 4-0 win against Ajax.

Alonso and Ramos were fined €20,000. They are already suspended from Real’s next group match, against Auxerre on 8 December, but can now start the knockout rounds in February with a clean slate.

Madrid are already sure of winning Group G.

Mourinho was also given a further one-match suspension to be imposed if the Portuguese coach is found guilty within the next three years of what UEFA calls “improper conduct.”

Mourinho had denied the accusations but footage of the match showed him apparently sending instructions from the bench immediately before Alonso and Ramos received second yellow cards for time-wasting late on.

UEFA also fined Real Madrid €120,000, while goalkeepers Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek were fined smaller amounts for apparently passing on Mourinho’s orders.

Mourinho is likely to sit out the match against Auxerre. He and Madrid have three days to appeal against the decision.