Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has refused to play the ideal sports man after last night’s loss of Europe’s Super Cup to Bayern Munich. Though outplayed, Chelsea, the reigning UEFA Cup holders, came close to upsetting the Champions League reiging champions but lost out 5-4 in the ensuing penalty shootout after a last-minute extra time Bayern goal tied the game at 2-2 at the end of 120 minutes of fireworks.
Speaking after the game, Prague, Mourinho, who had earlier written off the present bayern squad, claiming it’s inferior to the one that conquered Europe last season, hit out at the referee for red-carding Ramires. The returnee Chelsea gaffer angrily claimed that the “best team had lost” at Eden Stadium in the Czech capital, Prague, .
A furious Mourinho pointed to the decision of referee Jonas Eriksson to dismiss Ramires for a second bookable offence as the turning point and accused the official of killing the game.
“This is my history with UEFA for a long, long time,” said Mourinho. “Football is 11 against 11. Eleven against 10 is, of course, easier for the team with 11. I have a fantastic experience of playing with 10 men in UEFA matches.
“I have a great experience. It’s nothing new for me. I went to Inter and played a Champions League semi-final, one hour, with 10 men against Barcelona. I go to Real Madrid, I played again a Champions League semi-final with 10 men. I came back to Chelsea and played a Super Cup final with 10 men again. Go to analyse the actions and make your conclusions. I’m unlucky. Just that.”
Mourinho accepted that in “pure terms” Ramires deserved a second yellow but claimed that the rules were not applied consistently.
“People who live in football, who earn their living in football, always feel there’s a very important rule: the passion for football,” he said.
“If you are in love with football, you don’t kill a final with a second yellow card like this. There were many other yellow cards that the referee didn’t give. There was a situation with Dante in front of me, with his first yellow card, and it was not given. With English referees, with people who love the game, communicate with the players, tells Ramires: ‘Look, you’ve not hurt anyone, but you mustn’t do that again’. Or tell the Bayern players: ‘Don’t dive. Don’t try and provoke. Play a fair game’.
“I’m disappointed because, in my opinion — and I don’t think I will be punished to have an opinion — the best team lost.
“The team that deserved to win lost but that happens. Even with periods of 15 minutes, the referee was very enthusiastic to add one more minute in the first half of extra-time, and another in the second half of extra-time. So I never thought the situation was over.”
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