Mourinho rants about ref favouring Barca
Reuters - Wednesday 27 April 2011, 22:42
MADRID - Jose Mourinho wrote off Real
Madrid's Champions League chances and accused Barcelona of being
favoured by the footballing authorities after his 10-man side
lost their semi-final first leg 2-0 on Wednesday.
Real had midfielder Pepe sent off after 62 minutes and
Mourinho was sent to the stands for his protests soon after, and
Lionel Messi took full advantage to score both goals in a
stunned Bernabeu.
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"Congratulations to a fantastic football team," the Real
coach said in a rambling rant at the post-match news conference.
"But congratulations for all they have as well, it must be
difficult to get to get all this power. Where does this power
come from? I don't know if it's because they give UNICEF
publicity (on their shirts)?"
Mourinho went on to list Barca's semi-final victory over
Chelsea in 2009, the Inter Milan semi-final from last season and
now "the scandal of the Bernabeu," as he suggested unfair red
cards had been issued to rivals playing the Catalan side.
"This thing happens in each semi-final," he said. "I am here
just to ask this question and I hope to get the answer one day.
"I respect him (Barca coach Pep Guardiola) a great deal as a
coach and a person... but I would like to see him win a Champions
League without scandals.
"Pep is a fantastic coach and he has won one
Champions League. I would be ashamed to have won it after the
scandal of Stamford Bridge (when he said Chelsea should have had
four penalties).
"I won two Champions Leagues with Porto and Inter and won
both on the pitch. We won with work, effort, sweat and fight."
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE
The second of those European crowns came after a famous
rearguard action with 10 men at the Nou Camp last season, losing
1-0 after having won the first leg 3-1.
However, Mourinho quickly ruled out any chance of another
heroic performance in next Tuesday's second leg at Barca's
stadium.
"Obviously in the return leg it's a very difficult mission,"
he added. "It's not very difficult, it's impossible.
"They will get to the final and that's that"
Real have had a player sent off in each of the four
'Clasicos' they have played in La Liga, the King's Cup final and
the Champions League this season, and now will be without the
suspended Sergio Ramos and Pepe next week.
Mourinho, who said he was not supposed to be speaking to the
media after having been sent off, will have to watch from the
stands.
When asked what he had said to receive the punishment from
the German referee, Wolfgang Stark, he replied: "I didn't say
anything, I just applauded his decision with two thumbs.
"If I told UEFA and him what I thought and feel I would end
my career now."
On television replays of the incident he could be seen to
say "Well done, well done" to the fourth official after Pepe was
sent off for a high-footed challenge on Barca fullback Dani
Alves.