Angry Mourinho cries foul for Chelsea

Premier League

Jose Mourinho has ended a self-imposed vow of silence by claiming he and Chelsea are treated differently to everyone else.

Not one to bite his tongue, the Blues manager took himself out of the firing line before and after last weekend’s match against Newcastle, having been hit by a Football Association misconduct charge.

Mourinho was charged for comments made following the Blues’ 1-1 draw at Southampton on December 28, when, amongst other things, he claimed there was a “clear campaign” by “people, pundits, commentators and coaches from other teams” against Chelsea.

The Blues manager resumed his media responsibilities on the eve of today’s trip to Swansea, and expressed his belief that officials are being put under undue pressure.

Mourinho said referees need freedom to officiate and that “the reactions and the influence that you can have on their stability to ref this team or that team” is unfair — a wider issue he claims Chelsea are getting a raw deal with.

The Portuguese pointed to the lack of punishment handed to old rival Arsene Wenger after shoving him during October’s match as an example, having spoken about what he perceived to be a lack of debate about Manchester United defender Chris Smalling’s handball against Stoke.

“Would you think such a penalty against Chelsea would have a reaction in the media and with managers in the same way after that reaction?” he asked.

“I don’t think so. After that, the reaction would be double or treble, so a referee needs to feel free, relaxed and with no pressure to do the best they can.

“With Chelsea and with me the reactions are different. Do you think if I push a manager in the technical area that I don’t have a stadium ban? I have a stadium ban.

“So referees are not guilty, they want to do their best but clearly there are measures and there are ways of reacting and clearly with my club and in relation to myself there are different standards, it’s as simple as that and you know that.”

Refereeing issues dominated Mourinho’s preview to the Swansea match, with the Chelsea boss asked about a report he told referee Phil Dowd “you’re too fat to referee, you should retire” after the New Year’s Day defeat at Spurs — a story he did not deny. “I go to the referee’s dressing room before the game and after the game,” Mourinho said.

“When I go before, I go with both captains and with the opposite manager — sometimes the assistant. What we say there is between us and stays there.”

As well as the opportunity to avoid the media, Mourinho would like officials to get more help. The Chelsea boss is a big fan of goal-line technology and would like referees to be able to watch replays of incidents.

“I want that,” Mourinho said. “In which way I don’t know, but I think the less mistakes in the game is good for the game and they don’t want mistakes.

“I think goal-line technology is fantastic. And I promise you every game I play now without goal-line technology, Champions League and so on, I am worried before the game because I miss it when it is not there. I am worried.”

Mourinho was at pains to stress he is not concerned by the quality of English referees and is against them having to coming out to explain decisions. He is also against their marks from assessors being made public, saying officials are like anyone else in the football world.

“They know when their game is perfect or bad, or when it goes well for them,” Mourinho said.

“I remember for example the game at Sunderland, because (the referee’s) dressing room is next door to us.

“I remember clearly the referee was Kevin Friend and when he and the other officials, linesmen and so on arrived in the dressing room after the game they were hugging each other, like a winning team does because they felt ‘top game for us’, ‘we’ve done very well’.”

Mourinho has also suggested Manchester City play by different rules to Chelsea. The Financial Fair Play regulations imposed by European governing body Uefa are designed to ensure that clubs spend within their means. City accepted sanctions at the end of last season for breaching the rules, among them a fine and restrictions on the club’s Champions League squad. However, that has not stopped the Blues from this week spending £28 million (€36m) to sign Wilfried Bony from Swansea.

Mourinho congratulated his title rivals for their acquisition, albeit with a less-than-veiled dig at such transfer activity.

“Well done, well done — good player, good striker, if they have the money and can spend it and have no problems with Financial Fair Play, well done,” he said.

“I think they can only play with 11, unless the rules for them are different and they can play with 12.

“It looks like the rules are different for them in certain aspects, but not this one. If Bony plays and Dzeko is on the bench, I am happy with that. Fantastic squad, one more top player for that squad to have Aguero, Jovetic, Dzeko and Bony is absolutely magnificent. I repeat, well done.”

Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson says the club must make the most of home advantage. “It’s going to be a very tough game, but we don’t lose many games at the Liberty — our fans really get behind us so hopefully we can get at least a point or three.”