The English Football Association said on Thursday it has banned former Birmingham City assistant coach Marcus Bignot for seven matches after he made anti-homosexual comments about Tottenham coach Rehan Skinner during a Women's Premier League match last February.
In March, the Football Association brought Bignot charges of misconduct and breach of regulations for his homophobic comments, but he denied the charges.
An independent commission confirmed the charges against Mr. Bignot, saying in a statement: "It has been established that Mr. Bignot made a completely unacceptable and clearly homophobic statement."
"It is really important that harsh penalties be imposed for such offensive homosexual statements," the statement added.
The committee indicated that Bignot lost his job at Birmingham City as a result of the comments, and his coaching job in the England Under-19 team was suspended until the investigations ended.