Nobody else out there has the bollocks to tell the truth.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/apr/28/jose-mourinho-real-madrid-barcelona

José Mourinho effectively accused Uefa of fixing it for Barcelona to reach the Champions League final after his Real Madrid team were beaten 2-0 at home by their fiercest rivals in an ugly and controversy-filled first leg of their semi-final.

Mourinho claimed it was "impossible" for Madrid to defeat the dark forces lined up against them after a night on which he and his defender Pepe were sent off. Two goals by Lionel Messi followed those dismissals to leave Barça on the verge of the final, where they look certain to meet Manchester United.

Madrid's coach accused Barcelona of wielding untouchable power in European football and said their coach, Pep Guardiola, should feel "ashamed" if he wins a competition that "yet again" is engulfed in "scandal". Barcelona also had a man sent off, their substitute goalkeeper, José Pinto, for his role in a mass brawl as the teams left the field at half-time. The incident was one of numerous flashpoints.

"One day," Mourinho said, pointedly using the Barcelona coach's full name, "I would like Josep Guardiola to win this competition properly." That was a reference to the controversial semi-final victory of Guardiola's team over Chelsea en route to their triumph in 2009.

Mourinho, who has had a player sent off in all four meetings with Barcelona this season and with Internazionale in last season's semi-final, said that he did not want to say what he "really thinks" because he feared a life ban but he did insist he felt "disgusted" to be working in football. In the end there was little holding back. The accusation was hardly a veiled one.

Mourinho claimed his red card and that handed to Pepe were unjustified and that this was not the first time Barcelona's opponents have been singled out for unfair punishment. He reeled off a list of referees whom he said had "favoured" the Catalan side, pointing an accusing finger at those who he sees as engaged in a pro‑Barça conspiracy. He insisted that the evidence is unavoidable and asked: "Why?"

"If I tell Uefa what I really think and feel, my career would end now," Mourinho said. "Instead I will just ask a question to which I hope one day to get a response: Why? Why? Why Ovrebo? Why Busacca? Why De Bleeckere? Why Stark? Why? Because every semi-final the same things happen. We are talking about an absolutely fantastic football team, so why do they need that? Why? Why does a team as good as they are need something [extra] that is so obvious that everyone sees it?

"Why Ovrebo [two] years ago [when the Norwegian referee did not give Chelsea a series of penalties against Barcelona]? Why couldn't Chelsea go to the final? Last year it was a miracle that Inter got there playing with 10 men for so long. A miracle. Why weren't there four penalties against Chelsea [in 2009]? Why send off [Arsenal's Robin] Van Persie [in the last 16]? Where does their power come from?

"It could have been 0-0 tonight, but then suddenly we are down to 10 men and they have a free path to find solutions that they could not find before then: we could have played for three hours and they would not have scored. But today we have seen that it is not difficult – it is impossible.

"The question," Mourinho continued, "is why? I don't know if it is the Unicef sponsorship or if it is because they are nice guys. I don't understand. Congratulations to Barcelona on being a great team and congratulations for all the other stuff you have which must be very hard to achieve. They have power and we have no chance. Chelsea had bans for Drogba and Bosingwa; Wenger and Nasri were banned for Arsenal; me today. I don't know why. All I can do is leave that question here in the air and hope that one day I will get the response. They have to get to the final, and they'll get there, full stop."

Asked if Madrid, trailing 2-0, were now out, Mourinho replied simply: "Yes, yes." There was a pause and then he added: "We will go there with pride and respect for football. It is a world that sometimes disgusts me to live in and earn a living from, but it is my world. We have to go there without Pepe, who didn't do anything, without [the suspended] Ramos who did nothing, without a coach who can't be on the bench. It is impossible. And if we score a goal and open up the tie a little, they will just kill it again. Tonight we have seen that we do not have any chance."

Mourinho sought to discredit Barcelona's 2009 Champions League success and any victory they may have this season.

"Josep Guardiola is a fantastic coach," he said, "but I have won two Champions Leagues. He has won [only] one Champions League and that is one that would embarrass me. I would be ashamed to have won it with the scandal of Stamford Bridge and, if he wins it this year, it will be with the scandal of the Bernabéu. I hope that one day he can win a proper Champions League. Deep down, if they are good people, it cannot taste right for them. I hope one day Guardiola has the chance of winning a brilliant, clean championship with no scandal."

On their website, Barcelona responded to the Portuguese's comments by threatening to report him to Uefa. "Barcelona's legal department will study the declarations made by José Mourinho to determine whether to refer them to Uefa," a club statement read.

"In the post match press conference, Jose Mourinho severely criticised the referee (Wolfgang) Stark and insinuated that Uefa treated Barcelona favourably."

Edited April 28, 201115 yr by abramovich

Please let this man come back to Chelsea!!!

Please let this man come back to Chelsea!!!

You have to be joking.

As much as I still love Jose and the guy is a legend, last night reminded why we are better off without him. For their dreadfully negative tactics, Madrid and Jose got exactly what they deserved last night - nothing. Sure, Barca played their part last night in what was a terrible advert for Champions League football, byt thankfully in Messi, they had one star who still shone bright, despite what was going on around him.

As great a coach as Mourinho is, no way do I want that "circus" back at Stamford Bridge.

Moreover, for those Chelsea fans who are desperate for us to win the CL (not me), bringing Jose, the enemy of UEFA, back would be madness.

You have to be joking.

As much as I still love Jose and the guy is a legend, last night reminded why we are better off without him. For their dreadfully negative tactics, Madrid and Jose got exactly what they deserved last night - nothing. Sure, Barca played their part last night in what was a terrible advert for Champions League football, byt thankfully in Messi, they had one star who still shone bright, despite what was going on around him.

As great a coach as Mourinho is, no way do I want that "circus" back at Stamford Bridge.

Nibs the Man the Legend.

Who else on here has got the Bollox to stand up and say something like this

I was watching the game with a Palace fan and it reminded us of a certain CL game with Liverpool where we needed to score but played the game like we were defending a lead.

Good on him for what hes come out and said but lets not pretend Real looked like getting anything more than they got out of what was in fairness a home tie they needed to win.

FWIW, I think Mourinho got it all wrong trying to play defensively. Considering he had Guardiola well-beaten in the off-field battle- by Guardiola's own admission- an early goal, a performance on the level of the first half of the Copa del Rey and Barcelona would've been reeling, collapsing under the weight of expectation.

I just don't think Jose knows how to approach a must-win game with an attacking mentality. Our games against Liverpool in the CL spring to mind. I think it's the last hurdle that stops him from becoming a truly great manager on the level of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Nibs, kudos for your post. Took the words right out of my mouth.

It was a truly nasty match last night. Barcelona players cheating and whining, scuffles on the sidelines, Ronaldo waving his arms about like a poor man's Jimmy, Madrid approaching the match with a completely negative mindset, the referee escorted off the pitch by the police.

All presided over by The Special One spouting bile, spite and hatred. For such a talented man it is a shame that he seems capable of only generating negative energy. Perfect fit for Man City really. I think it is even less likely that he will ever manage Manure after last night's performance.

I guess the most shameful thing about it all is that us fans of the English game are told these two teams were the paragons of footballing virtue by UEFA and co.

Oh, how last night made me miss The Special One. The note-taking. The touchline directions. The tactical plans A, B & C that he always has prepared for every game. The honesty and balls to stand up for his club and his players whenever he feels injustice and to hell with the consequences. We can only but wonder how much we would have gone on to win if Roman had backed him instead of undermining him. You could practically hear the sigh of relief from Wenger, Ferguson and every rival EPL fan when he left SW6. We are the only the club in the world who would have loaded the gun and shot ourselves in the foot like that after everything he achieved.

Signing Jose is like making a deal with the Devil. You'll get instant rewards and pay in blood.

Signing Jose is like making a deal with the Devil. You'll get instant rewards and pay in blood.

Haha! This is so true.

I still f**king love Mourinho, his comments are spot on. I really hope Madrid sack him though... and that he comes back here of course :)

Yes the game last night was awful, but Madrid tried to play against Barcelona and failed, so did the best they could under the circumstances. They probably would have contained them too had Pepe not been sent off, and for all we know could have hit on the break with some of their quality up front too.

I don't think the way Mou set them out was all that different to how Hiddink set us out against them tbh.

Nibs the Man the Legend.

Who else on here has got the Bollox to stand up and say something like this

I was watching the game with a Palace fan and it reminded us of a certain CL game with Liverpool where we needed to score but played the game like we were defending a lead.

Good on him for what hes come out and said but lets not pretend Real looked like getting anything more than they got out of what was in fairness a home tie they needed to win.

Chippy mate, I know there are many occasions where we disagree and perhaps even rub each other up the wrong way at times, but more often than not, you often win me over with your view points.

No-one can question Mourinho’s record and what a great coach he is. Winning the CL last season with an Inter side who clearly weren’t the best team in the competition was yet another incredible achievement. And I still like the bloke – most of the time. But as I’ve said, last night just underlined for me why it would all end in tears if he came back and why we need to draw a line under Jose once and for all. As much as I hated the way some of the Barca players reacted – especially the usual villains Alves and Busquets, how can anyone applaud the way Madrid went about the game? At home with the talented squad of players they have? It was horrible football and yet if they had nicked a 0-0 draw (which is clearly what they were intending to do) and managed a 1-1 or a 0-0 at the Nou Camp, they could have gone on to win it. No side playing like that deserves to win the CL and I would honestly, hand on heart, rather NOT win the CL than win it playing like that.

So I will now remain fully behind Carlo and if I criticise him at any point, feel free to chastise me (but that is as long as he plays Josh and Sturridge a bit next season otherwise I might not be able to help myself!!)

Bang on Nibs, Ive said pretty much the same thing in the Jose back to Chelsea thread. Even though he is obviously an incredibly talented manager, I dont think he is anything like what we need as a club at the moment. The sh*t storm he brings with him negates the trophies he wins for me, it then takes a club a few seasons to recover once he leaves. I will always have a massive amount of respect for what he did for us, but I do not want him ever to come back to manage us.

And I am gonna hold you to that last sentence........I may even get moi in on it to keep an eye on you :D

Edited April 28, 201115 yr by dkw

Jose is the f**king legend, i love him !!!! Best manager in the world.

Nibs

I understand why someone wouldn't want the 'circus' back at SB but Jose's antics always creates a shield for his players. While he tackles the press and opposition in his own unique way, the players can go about their business under the radar unlike what has gone on here since he left. Carlo is a nice man but he does not protect his players. I doubt that if Jose was here our players would be in the media limelight almost all the time. Sir Alex protects his players like a hawk his eggs and rarely we see anything negative about any United player in the press.

Absolutely love the man and hope one day he would come back to the club he loves.

As much as I hated the way some of the Barca players reacted – especially the usual villains Alves and Busquets, how can anyone applaud the way Madrid went about the game? At home with the talented squad of players they have? It was horrible football and yet if they had nicked a 0-0 draw (which is clearly what they were intending to do) and managed a 1-1 or a 0-0 at the Nou Camp, they could have gone on to win it. No side playing like that deserves to win the CL and I would honestly, hand on heart, rather NOT win the CL than win it playing like that.

In fairness to José he set up his team to play the beautiful game at the Nou Camp, they got thrashed 5-0. Maybe it's just sentimentality but I really miss José's influence here at Chlesea, he's able to spot great talents and assemble a squad , and he's often shown himself to be a tactical genius. Surely Arsenal on Successive occasions have proven that you can't hope to out Barca , Barca? Only Guus matched him as a man-manager and tactically, perhaps he could have proven himself to be the man to re-develop a world class squad.

You make some great points, don't get me wrong. José at his worst was almost a paranoiac and if one had a tendency towards paranoia and one was playing in a competition where refereeing decisions are almost invariably questionable at best and outrageous at worse I think one would play an extremely defensive game.But personally I'd like those self-described saviours of football to be taken down by any means necessary. Nani has the fortitude of Popeye compared to the divers of the most talented side in the world. José has a team set up to counter-act the strengths of his opponents, Pep has a team who when nullified moan , groan and bitch to get their way. Which of these is truly anti-Football?

Edited April 28, 201115 yr by Pride of London

Just posted this is the nearest & dearest thread but its worth a repeat here - as much as i love the man for what he did for us, its a little rich for Mourinho to give out about refereeing decisions affecting games, given that he's made a managerial career out of attempting to con/intimidate/disrupt referees and its the bedrock of his approach to knockout football.

However justifiable some of his comments actually are last night was a perfect example of the circus that surrounds him everytime he is involved in a big match and i think we are best well out of it now and as a club should move forward and move on from the shadow he still holds over us whilst never forgetting or thanking him for everything he did at Chelsea.

So I will now remain fully behind Carlo and if I criticise him at any point, feel free to chastise me (but that is as long as he plays Josh and Sturridge a bit next season otherwise I might not be able to help myself!!)

As am I, if he's given a chance he'll play youngsters, look at Pato.

Just - IMO Jose had no plan B last night, even with 11 men.

His plans A, B and C were all based on defending with 11 men. You can be forgiven for not being able to notice the subtle change from A to B and back from time to time.

Im with him on Barcas favourable decisions. Seems to be a regular thing now.

Am trying to think of the last time a player didn't get sent off against Barcelona in a big game.

Whether you wish for it or not, two earth-shattering events need to happen before Jose walks back into our lives, as opposed to immersing himself in Ji-Sung Park life…

1. There has to be a reconciliation with Roman that requires some admittance of guilt on both sides. The Special One must accept that he was wrong to expect complete control of the club’s day-to-day running, especially with regard to player development through the Academy and on into the first team. If a more pliant coach such as Carlo cannot bring himself to take an extended plunge with the likes of Sturridge, McEachran and Bruma, then there is little or no chance that Jose’s going to be any different, unless he bows to the inevitability of this Big-Boss-driven policy. Should Carlo lose his job, I believe it will be partly due to results, but primarily a reflection of our slump occurring without a long term blooding of any of them taking place - a coach’s course of action, whether it failed or not, which would have been far more understandable and acceptable in Roman’s book than the number of injuries argument. That said, we were [allegedly] CL desperate at the time and this aspect leads to…

2. The need for Roman to give up on his Champions League ’obsession’, or at the very least question its importance when measured against the fans probable preference for unencumbered [by UEFA politics] domestic success. Imagine the parting shots of both men when Jose got the push mid-season…â€Sorry, but I’ve come to the conclusion we’ll never win the CL with you as our coachâ€, says RA, only to be told by JM “I’m not the problem here, you and your [disruptive] money, power and influence are the cause as far as UEFA are concerned, just you wait and see!†So we have waited, missed penalty intervention, Ovrebo, et al, and so it has proved to be, whereas a Mourinho-led Inter has, even after [yet again] having a semi-final 10-man handicap, triumphed against those Barca-play-the-best-football odds that will forever be stacked against the opposition.

Forever isn’t a word used lightly either, just take a long look at those forthcoming UEFA financial fair play rules and ask yourself whether it really is worth the hassle of complying, knowing full well your going to come up against the usual politicking on behalf of the big [ground capacity] hitters while having your own hands tied behind your back. That said, like the present AV debate, you don’t have to ’av it, but that would need Roman to flout those selfsame rules and run the risk of expulsion from the very competition he supposedly wants to win the most. Reconciliation followed by realpolitik! It would take some nerve, but, if we were to snub UEFA, I know which coach I’d like at that the helm at the time.

His plans A, B and C were all based on defending with 11 men. You can be forgiven for not being able to notice the subtle change from A to B and back from time to time.

You even seen Madrid play this season other than against Barcelona? Defensive is certainly not the way I would describe them.

As am I, if he's given a chance he'll play youngsters, look at Pato.

Just - IMO Jose had no plan B last night, even with 11 men.

From Jose's press conference;

"It was our plan to keep a clean sheet and start attacking when the opposition was getting frustrated. It was our plan to replace Lassana Diarra with Kaka for the final 25 minutes of the game, but we had to change our plans because of the red card."

We can stick with Ancelotti and we probably will. Fair enough he's a decent manager IMO. But Jose is a far better manager IMO. A great manager. A better man-manager. A better motivator. And certainly, without question IMO, a better tactician. And just as importantly he is much more proactive with his changes during a game. Which is why, whenever we come up against him in a game of any significance in the forseeable future, we will probably lose. No matter what players we have.

Incidentally can anyone confirm if it's true or not that Madrid have had a payer sent off everytime they have played Barcelona this season?

Question for you just (and anyone else who would like Jose back), though I agree Jose is a better manager than Carlo do you believe Carlo is better for a club seeking stability than Jose, considering thats exactly what we desperately need at the moment? Not a wind up or a dig, just wondering how people feel about this.

Edited April 28, 201115 yr by dkw