Sometimes one mistake can cost you a job at least that's what former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz is probably muttering in a Lisbon bar right about now.
In a move that was expected, he was fired today.
It all stems from his overreaction to doping tests of his players before a World Cup match this summer (for which he recently received a six-month suspension).
Queiroz had two years left on his contract and his dismissal was expected. The country's soccer federation said in a statement it made the move "given recent events and after analyzing the national coach's current situation."
The federation will begin looking for a successor, although it gave no clues about candidates. Neither federation officials nor Queiroz was immediately available for comment.
Queiroz has denied wrongdoing regarding his suspension and is appealing the ban. The coach has said he was angry because the unannounced early-morning tests disturbed the players. Queiroz acknowledges using inappropriate language.
In a mixed showing at the World Cup in South Africa, Portugal went out in the second round in a tightly-contested 1-0 loss to eventual champion Spain.
Portugal has just one point from its first two 2012 European Championship qualifiers. A 1-0 loss at Norway on Tuesday came after a 4-4 draw at home against lowly Cyprus last week, constituting Portugal's worst start to a qualifying campaign since 1996.
The squad, missing injured players Cristiano Ronaldo, Pepe and Jose Bosingwa, looked unsettled and shaky in both games. With Deco and Simao Sabrosa both recently retired from international soccer, the team lacks an inspirational playmaker.
The 57-year-old Queiroz began coaching Portugal in 2008 and leaves with 15 wins, eight draws and three losses.
Previously, he was Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United for five years. In his three-decade coaching career, he also worked in Major League Soccer, Spain and United Arab Emirates.
I was not a fan of his style but you can't argue with the team's record under Queiroz. The fact that they aren't playing well at the moment in Euro 2012 qualifiers made this decision even easier.
Hopefully the next man to lead Portugal remembers that with all the talent at his disposal, the team should aim to score goals not just run around for 90 minutes without much desire to put the ball in the net. End of rant.
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