Mourinho 'cheat' jibe may force FA into action

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has again risked action by the Football Association by claiming his side were cheated in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United.

Mourinho yesterday escaped punishment from the FA for his after-match comments concerning referee Neale Barry’s second-half handling of the tie at Stamford Bridge.

But fresh remarks on Chelsea’s own television station may lead to trouble.

Mourinho said: “Sir Alex was really clever, if you can say that, at half-time by putting some pressure on the ref. In the second half, it was whistle and whistle, fault and fault and cheat and cheat.”

It is the use of the word “cheat” which may lead to action by the FA.

A precedent was set earlier in the season when Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was fined £15,000 (€21,000) for branding Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy a “cheat”.

In his after-match comments, Mourinho had accused Ferguson of influencing the official when the Blues boss saw the pair undergoing a half-time discussion as they walked down the tunnel.

He then claimed that Barry had awarded United favourable decisions in the second half and also accused Ferguson’s players of diving to get them.

But despite appearing to call into question Barry’s integrity and neutrality as well as Ferguson’s conduct, an FA spokesman confirmed yesterday: “We are not taking any action over Mourinho. We have looked at the comments and we have decided that no further action is required. That is the end of it.”

Mourinho’s latest comments may make the FA think again.

Meanwhile, Barry insists there was nothing unusual about his half-time conversation with Ferguson.

He told the Daily Mail: “Since I have been refereeing I have had hundreds of conversations with managers at half-time and full-time and this was no different.”