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Mourinho's appeal date set

Berne - Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho's appeal against his five-match touchline ban will be heard at UEFA's headquarters on Friday.

European soccer's ruling body said the Portuguese would attend the hearing. Real are attempting to reduce the sanction which followed his sending-off in the turbulent semi-final first leg Champions League match at home to Barcelona last season.

Mourinho, who was also banned for "an inappropriate statement" after his team's 2-0 defeat at the Bernabeu, said he was not bothered by the hearing.

"For me, it is not an important appointment," he told the sports daily Marca. "I want to arrive in Madrid before five o'clock in the evening to train my team."

Mourinho, who served the first match of his ban in the return leg against eventual champions Barcelona, was also fined 50 000 euros ($71 917).

The fifth match of his ban has been suspended for a probationary period of three years.

Referring to Barcelona's controversial semi-final win at Chelsea in 2009, the Portuguese had said: (Coach) Josep Guardiola is a fantastic football coach but he has won one Champions League which would embarrass me after the scandalous goings on at Stamford Bridge.

"This year if he wins it again it will be after the scandalous goings on at the Bernabeu.

"I don't know if it's the UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) publicity," added Mourinho referring to the logo that used to appear on Barca's shirts.

"I don't know if it's because they are so nice but they have got great power. The rest of us have no chance."

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