Guardiola fined 15,000 euros for calling ref liar

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola has been fined 15,000 euros ($20,130) by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) for accusing a referee of lying, the Spanish champions said on Tuesday.

Guardiola was sent off for insulting the officials during his side's 2-2 La Liga draw at Almeria on March 6, but a week later he disputed what referee Carlos Clos Gomez quoted him as having said in his match report.

After an initial appeal over the decision to the RFEF had been rejected, Guardiola said: "...when someone lies you have to appeal. They (the officials) lied in the match report and put things in there that I did not say."

Clos Gomez wrote that he had sent Guardiola to the stands in the 27th minute of the match for leaving his technical area and putting his face close to that of the assistant referee and shouting and waving his arms.

He quoted Guardiola as saying: "Your decisions are the wrong way around" and "You don't understand anything".

Barcelona have 10 days to decide whether to appeal the decision, the club said.