TV boss mocks Mourinho calendar complaints
Reuters - Tuesday 01 March 2011, 15:43
MADRID - Jose Mourinho's complaints that
La Liga's calendar is unfair on Real Madrid are "nonsense" and
no excuse for bad results, the president of one of the league's
broadcast rights holders Mediapro said on Tuesday.
After drawing 0-0 at Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, a result
that put Real seven points behind leaders Barcelona, Real coach
Mourinho said his players had not had enough time to rest after
last Tuesday's Champions League match at Olympique Lyon.
"I don't know what would have happened if we had played on
Sunday but it would have been fairer," Mourinho said.
"The calendar is set by people who know what they are doing.
They do what they want and they will carry on like that."
Mediapro boss Jaume Roures responded on Catalunya Radio.
"Mourinho says 'they laugh behind my back' and the truth is
when I hear him putting up all these excuses I laugh because
it's amazing how someone can talk such nonsense and throw up so
many excuses," he said.
"Looking for distractions to justify bad results is a bad
practice. It seems like the whole world is against him, but it
wasn't me who left Angel di Maria on the bench the other day."
Television companies have to go through a complicated
bidding process for the games they wish to show over the season
and Roures said kick-off times were agreed between the Spanish
football league (LFP) and the clubs.
He also pointed out that Real's next opponents Malaga had
greater reason to complain.
"They played yesterday (Monday) and have to play again
against Madrid on Thursday," he added. "The whites played on
Saturday and don't have to play again until Thursday."
Malaga visit the Bernabeu on Thursday.