Mourinho gets silent revenge on local media
Reuters - Saturday 16 April 2011, 23:56
MADRID - Jose Mourinho's troublesome
relationship with the Madrid-based media continued on Saturday
when he refused to answer their questions after 10-man Real
Madrid's 1-1 draw with La Liga leaders Barcelona.
No one was sure whether Mourinho would came out to speak to
reporters at the Bernabeu after the match following his decision
to sit in silence and allow his number two Aitor Karanka to host
the pre-match news conference on Friday.
Mourinho's actions, an attempt to avoid heating up the
atmosphere before the 'clasico', prompted a walkout by around 30
local journalists in protest.
But after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty eight minutes from
time had cancelled out Lionel Messi's earlier penalty following
Raul Albiol dismissal, Mourinho broke his silence to offer a
sharp reply to a question from a reporter of a local sports
daily.
"Are you the director of AS?," Mourinho asked. "If not, I
can't reply. Because according to your philosophy, if you won't
speak to my number two, I will only speak to the directors."
The next question went the same way.
"I can't reply," he said again. "Punto Pelota didn't have
the respect to talk to someone who deserved respect. A person
who had won three European cups with this club, who has all the
credibility to be my representative in a press conference."
The Portuguese than went on to answer questions from
Barcelona-based or international journalists, while continuing
to snub other questions from Madrid media.
Mourinho has frequently clashed with the media during his
coaching career and has angered journalists in Spain since his
arrival at the end of last season by cutting back on their
access to players and training.
His latest outburst was a sour note after a battling
performance that will have given Real's morale a boost ahead of
Wednesday's King's Cup final against Barca.