Mexico City, Jul 29 (IANS): The Mexican Football Federation sacked the national team manager Miguel "El Piojo" Herrera for his misbehaviour, a media report said.

On Monday, Miguel Herrera appeared to have punched TV Azteca journalist Christian Martinoli, seemingly for his criticism of the Mexican team during the Gold Cup.

The president-elect of the federation, Decio de Maria, told a press conference in Mexico City that Herrera had been let go on Tuesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"After conferring with my colleagues, I have decided to remove Miguel Herrera from the national team. It was not a simple decision but it was the right one," he said.

"Our values have to be maintained and nobody is above the type of situation we saw on Monday at Philadelphia airport," he continued.

Mexico won the Gold Cup in Chile by beating Jamaica 3-1 on Sunday, but their semifinal win over Panama was marred by controversial decisions by the referee.

Martinoli and fellow journalist Luis Garcia were waiting at the TSA line at Phidelphia airport on Monday morning when Herrera allegedly walked up to him and punched him in the neck.

Herrera denied punching the journalist but this did not deter the federation from letting him go.