Did Jose see alleged Rijkaard incident?

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has suggested that he had not personally witnessed his Barcelona counterpart Frank Rijkaard enter the referee’s dressing room during the controversial Champions League match at the Nou Camp.

Tue, 29 Mar, 2005 - 01:00

Ori Lewis

European governing body UEFA have charged the Premiership leaders with bringing the game into disrepute after Mourinho accused Rijkaard of speaking to referee Anders Frisk at half-time in the first leg of their first knockout round tie with Barcelona on February 23.

UEFA specifically cited Mourinho, his assistant Steve Clarke and security man Les Miles. Chelsea, who were leading 1-0, lost 2-1 after striker Didier Drogba was sent off.

“I am the manager and I have people who assist me,” Mourinho told a presentation to Israeli and Palestinian coaches.

“If something happens in the football stadium and I don’t see it and if some of my people arrive and tell me ‘I saw this, this happened,’ and then the other one comes and says, ‘I saw the same’ I say it’s true, because I cannot work without loyalty, I have to believe my people.”

Mourinho did not refer to the incident directly and said he would not comment on Chelsea matters. “Of course, I am not a perfect man. No chance. Of course I have a lot of bad qualities, but the people who work with me know that I am very loyal to people so I have to stand with my people,” he said.

Frisk has subsequently retired from refereeing after saying he had received death threats from Chelsea fans. Chelsea advanced to the quarter-finals after winning the second leg 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on March 8.

Mourinho also said that he wants to coach Portugal before retiring. “My idea is to work for 13 (more) years, so... if I can spend four of them with the Portuguese national team, I have nine years in English soccer,” he said. “The England job is not for me.

“First of all the team is in good hands and secondly when Sven (Eriksson) decides to go or when the English FA decide that it’s time for Sven to go I believe that it is a job for an Englishman,” Mourinho said.