LONDON: Shanghai SIPG coach Andre Villas-Boas has been fined $14,000 for his criticism of the referees following the Asian Champions League quarter-final win over Guangzhou Evergrande two weeks ago. The Portuguese was investigated by the Asian Football Confederation for his outburst following the second leg of the quarter-final against the Chinese Super League rivals in Guangzhou. The AFC’s disciplinary committee fined him for his “offensive words” at the referee during his media conference in Guangzhou, the governing body said Tuesday. Villas-Boas had said the referees favoured Guangzhou during the two legs of the quarter-final and claimed the AFC were influenced by the China club. Villas-Boas’s side face Japan’s Urawa Red Diamonds in Tokyo on Wednesday. Published in Daily Times, September 27th 2017.