England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been suspended for two competitive international matches and fined 5,000 Swiss francs (CHF) (£2,200) by a FIFA disciplinary panel on Saturday for his sending-off in the World Cup quarter-final against Portugal.

Rooney was given a red card by Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho in the 62nd minute of the quarter-final, which went to penalties, which saw Portugal progress.

Rooney denied the stamp was intentional, saying he was '”gobsmacked'” by the charge, but the FIFA disciplinary committee found him guilty of violent conduct.

Rooney faced an automatic one-game suspension by virtue of the straight red, but the panel deemed that the foul deserved double the punishment.

Rooney will be suspended for the first two of England's 12 qualifying matches for the 2008 European Championships against Andorra at Old Trafford on September 2, and away at F.Y.R. Macedonia on September 6.

England have been drawn in Group E for the qualifying rounds for the tournament, a group also containing Croatia, Israel, Russia and Estonia.

In other punishments announced Saturday, two Argentina players were suspended for their parts in a post-match fracas following their quarter-final loss to Germany.

Leandro Cufre was banned for four matches and fined 10,000CHF (£4,400) for kicking Germany defender Per Mertsacker in a melee that followed the penalty shootout at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

Maxi Rodriguez was suspended for two matches and fined 5,000CHF (£2,200) for throwing punches during the skirmish. Cufre, an unused substitute in the match, was handed a red card after the final whistle.

Germany midielder Torsten Frings, who missed the World Cup semi-final loss to Italy because of a suspension in the quarter-final. In a quick ruling on the eve of the semi-final after new footage of the brawl was shown on German and Italian TV, Frings was found guilty of punching Julio Cruz.

“I feel betrayed as it was not what I deserved,” Frings was quoted saying in German newspapers. “FIFA destroyed my dream. I was punished for defending myself.”

FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said the disciplinary committee did not immediately release comments on its findings.

The disciplinary panel took two days to deliberate on Rooney's case and three days for the Argentinian duo.

The FA submitted a defence to the disciplinary committee, but Rooney was expected to be banned for more than one match for the stamp.

UEFA president Lennart Johansson said he agreed with the original ruling by Elizondo, who has also been appointed to referee Sunday's World Cup final between Italy and France.

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