Soccer/Champions League: Chelsea have said they are unlikely to appeal after Jose Mourinho was banned from the touchline for two Champions League matches and warned by Uefa not to attempt to contact his players while serving the suspension.

The Chelsea manager had related in his autobiography how he had circumvented a previous touchline ban during the Uefa Cup semi-final against Lazio in Rome in 2003 by sending messages from a computer to the bench.

In its statement announcing Mourinho's touchline ban and 20,000 Swiss francs (€12,900) fine, along with reprimands for his assistant Steve Clarke and the security officer Les Miles and a 75,000 Swiss francs (€48,300) penalty for the club, Uefa was keen to remind the Portuguese not to attempt to try the same thing again.

"A team manager who is suspended from carrying out his function may follow the match for which he is suspended from the stands only," said the statement. "He is not allowed in the dressingroom, tunnel or technical area before and during the match nor is he allowed to get in contact with his team."

Though Mourinho will be dismayed to be prevented from exercising his matchday duties in the quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich - provided the club does not delay the suspension's instigation with an appeal - the verdict appears favourable to the Premiership leaders.

Given the splenetic language Uefa employed in charging Chelsea, Mourinho, Clarke and Miles with disrepute, in which they were accused of creating a "poisoned and negative ambience", there had been concern at Stamford Bridge that the hearing had been prejudiced.

Chelsea were able to convince the panel, chaired by the Austrian Thomas Partl and consisting of Denmark's Jim Hansen, Jacques Antenen of Switzerland, Sandor Berzi of Hungary and the Scot David Taylor, that there had been no conspiracy to mislead Uefa with untruths. They did, however, admit to inconsistencies in their various allegations of an improper conversation between Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard and referee Anders Frisk at the match which sparked Uefa's investigation and charges.

"I think the panel took the view that there was a misunderstanding in those statements, that those statements were made in good faith and the club and the persons who made those statements continue to believe that," said Chelsea's chairman Bruce Buck. "I think in large part it's been blown out of proportion and in large part we want to put it behind us."

Chelsea also took the opportunity to apologise to Frisk, who retired after receiving threats from the club's "fans".

"I think the whole club respects his integrity," said Buck. "We are very sorry about the situation that developed to the extent that (if) our security people are able to develop any information about people that have been harassing him then certainly we will turn that over to the proper authorities."

Whether Chelsea will be entirely satisfied their own reputation remains intact after the damaging build-up to the hearing is unclear. A statement from Peter Kenyon last week referred to the inflammatory statements of "individuals", notably the Uefa director of communications William Gaillard, as having potentially prejudiced the hearing. Gaillard was noticeably absent from Uefa's headquarters yesterday.

Buck, who stepped in to attempt to end the bitter exchanges between his club and Uefa, said. "I felt it was time to start concentrating on celebrating football again. (Roman Abramovich's aide) Eugene (Tenenbaum), Peter and myself were all in agreement about that."

Chelsea were satisfied the tribunal was conducted in an impartial manner by the semi-independent Uefa judges. "We are not overly happy with the decision, but we certainly respect the decision of the panel," said Buck.

"We felt the hearing was full and fair; we were able to make our points. We are not likely to appeal, though we would like to reserve that decision until we see the reasoning of the panel."

Until that is received in writing there is no indication regarding exactly how the punishments were worked out. Uefa's statement referred only to "incidents connected with the Uefa Champions League fixture between Barcelona and Chelsea on February 23rd".

Mourinho had also been in trouble for his failure to attend the post-match press conference and his side's delay in emerging for the second half of that match. Though there was relief Uefa declined to pursue extreme sanctions, Mourinho has further blemished his disciplinary record.

He has been fined by the Premier League and now suspended by Uefa for his comments about referees and will be aware any future pronouncements will put him on a disciplinary tightrope.