Mourinho wants final to be spectacle to remember
Mourinho is still struggling to name 16 first-team players for the showpiece event – the first at the new Wembley. But as he tries to patch up a squad ravaged by injuries, the Portuguese coach insists he wants the final be be a sporting event to remember with no ‘diving’ or ‘provocative tactics’ by players on either side in an attempt to fool referee Steve Bennett.
Mourinho declared: “Everybody has a responsibility in the final, everybody — me, Sir Alex, the players, referee Mr Bennett and his assistants. “I will be very sad and disappointed if the final is not a good event, a fair event, without problems, with a good winner and proud loser.
“I want to win, but Man Utd want to win. Chelsea gave a good example of how to behave when we lost the Premiership crown. I would be disappointed if some of the players were diving or trying to get others red-carded, I would be very disappointed with that.”
But Mourinho is confident that Bennett is the right man to ensure the final is played in the right spirit. “Mr Bennett has enough experience and has had a very low profile season. In a referee, a low profile is the best quality he can have,” he added. “When you don’t remember a referee in the game then it is because he was perfect. Mr Bennett has had a low profile season and it is a big event for him. It is up to us all to make it a sporting event to remember. If both teams can have an attacking and positive spirit, we can make the game a real final – a final the new Wembley deserves.
“I have a big desire to make it a big sporting event, a very good game of football – that is the message I am passing on to my players. Play with happiness, an open mind and heart and really enjoy it. I believe the other side have similar feelings to ours.”
Mourinho admits he still has many decisions to make regarding the final make-up of his side. Injuries have already robbed him of striker Andriy Shevchenko, midfielder Michael Ballack and defender Ricardo Carvalho, and there are doubts over Mikel John Obi, Arjen Robben and Ashley Cole.
Mikel is struggling with a hamstring strain while Cole is due to have an ankle operation after the final.
Robben has not played since his substitute appearance for the club in the semi-final of the Champions League and Mourinho declared: “We have too many injuries.
“We will start the game with 11 and hope we finish with 11. Khalid Boulahrouz’s red card against Arsenal was not a violent one, it was a red card, but not violent. Chelsea is not a team with bad behaviour, so I hope we don’t make any kind of technical mistakes that give us a red card.
“We start with 11 players with big motivation, and five players on the bench. Even if we have to have one or two kids on the bench, I believe the players will give everything to win the game. But it is a frustration to arrive for such a big game without very important players. It is very unfair on some players that they can’t play the final – very unfair. I think Ashley and Arjen are ready, but, if they are ready to play, I have my doubts. If they play, they cannot play for 90 minutes because they haven’t trained. The last time Ashley made a movement was against Liverpool in the Champions League semi-final and Arjen was exactly the same.
“If they are fit from the body point of view, I have many doubts they have good conditions to play the game. But if I can have Robben on the bench to give 15 or 20 minutes, I would be very happy with that and I think that is going to happen.
“I have to decide whether to start with Ashley or Wayne Bridge – I have to make my decision. Who knows? I could play with both because Bridge can also play in midfield and we are struggling there.
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