Chelsea FC: Mourinho Risks Further Punishment In Sky Sports Rant
By Lou Flavius
Chelsea FC manager Jose Mourinho has risked another charge from the Football Association after appearing on Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday.
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How Sky actually got him there is already amazing in itself. The manager gave nothing away during his post-match interview yesterday, but he certainly made his feelings known today.
Mourinho was recently charged by the FA for ‘bringing the game into disrepute’, after he suggested that there was a media campaign against his league-leading Blues. He subsequently shunned his media duties, refusing to speak to journalists.
A 1-1 draw vs Burnley at Stamford Bridge on Saturday saw Manchester City shave two points off Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table. The gap now stands at five points after City convincingly saw Newcastle off with a 5-0 victory.
Mourinho believes that his team would have been leading by 12 points, had the officials got a few decisions right.
Yesterday was a typical example, Chelsea had two very legitimate shouts for penalties waved off, and had a key player — in Nemanja Matic — shown red after he reacted to an extremely harsh foul committed by Ashley Barnes.
Here are the four key incidents that Jose Mourinho referred to in his press conference: http://t.co/i8wotrxxyc #CFC pic.twitter.com/n7GIy04RkI
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 21, 2015
The sending off instantly changed the dynamic of the contest, as Burnley would go on to level scores and see the rest of the game out.
The Portuguese boss was understandably upset, and compared Saturday’s incident to Diego Costa’s stamp on Emre Can during the semifinal of the Capital One Cup Match last month. Costa was handed a three-match ban, only returning to league action yesterday.
Mourinho took the opportunity to rip into the Sky Sports team, who he believes was chiefly responsible for the striker’s suspension.
"“When I finished at the game against Liverpool, I went to the dressing room and the first thing I saw on the big screen, reading non-stop — Diego Costa crimes.”“I would like to know how to you, Sky Sports, describe the actions of the Burnley player yesterday? My English is not good enough to find a word.”“When you think ‘Diego crimes’ after he puts his boot on a hand, when this is ‘Diego crimes’, the minimum you have to say is ‘criminal tackle’.”“Did you apologize to Chelsea, to Diego or myself? You didn’t. As an institution, Sky is so important in the Premier League, you never apologize.”“When Diego Costa has a three-match ban, probably three matches to Matic… tell me how many matches this player deserves?”-Jose MourinhoSource: Yahoo Sport"
The manager further accused the media outlet of immediately judging Costa’s actions, and not giving the ones responsible the time to think for themselves. He also believes that Matic is very lucky to be in one piece right now.
"“I don’t like the fact you start immediately, in that moment, the public judgement of the player. You gave no space to the people that have to decide, the pressure was so much.”“You don’t do this with every club, with every player. Last year, Yaya Toure against Norwich, you didn’t have the same approach; (Robin) van Persie against West Ham, you didn’t have the same approach.”“This one (on Saturday) was even worse. This can be end of career. Matic is a very lucky guy.”"
Chelsea’s next fixture comes against Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Capital One Cup. Matic will miss the match barring a successful appeal, but Mourinho fears he could be absent as well, given his latest tirade.
"“I’m risking my dugout in the final because maybe tomorrow I get a ban.”“The incidents, I’m speaking about week after week exactly because it’s week after week.”When I go to the media and do what I did (on Saturday), ’30, 33, 43, 69 and goodbye’ or do what I’m doing with you, I’m not attacking the honest or dignity of anyone, I’m not trying to bring the game into disrepute — which is always (the phrase) they use when they want to punish me.”"
It wouldn’t come as a surprise if the manager was charged yet again, it also wouldn’t be surprising if Barnes escaped retroactive punishment from the FA.