Jose: English clubs in Europe hurt by scheduling

The Chelsea boss spoke ahead of his side's league clash with Aston Villa on Saturday, which will be the late kick-off in the division.

Chelsea will face Galatasaray in their Champions League last 16 second leg on Tuesday with the scoreline at 1-1, but the Turkish side played their weekend league game on Friday, giving them an extra day's rest - much to Mourinho's ire.

He queried: "Do people not care that English teams are struggling in Europe? Why don't they? I care.

"Television deserves to be powerful because, without them, nothing would be the same, but there is space in the calendar that could be filled with communication.

"They should ask the players if it's the same, having two or three days to prepare.

"Ask (Didier) Drogba on Monday: is it the same for him to play on Friday ahead of the trip to London, or on Saturday with the game coming up on Tuesday?

"I don't understand why Galatasaray can play on Friday and we have to play on Saturday. If we played at 7.45pm on a Friday night, it makes a difference to whom?

"Fewer spectators at Villa Park? I don't think so. It'd still be a full-house. And for television? It wouldn't make a difference."

Mourinho is not just hoping to see a change made to benefit Chelsea, but the whole Premier League.

The Portuguese also pointed to scheduling that saw Manchester City face Wigan in the FA Cup quarter-finals last Sunday before travelling to Barcelona in Europe.

City were trailing 2-0 from the first leg and were ultimately unable to turn it around, going down 2-1 at Camp Nou.

"Would it be good for English football and for Chelsea? Yes," he continued.

"But I'm trying to get this for all of us, not just for me. For example, I don't understand why City, a team who must come from Europe on Wednesday night, must play at 12.45pm on Saturday (at Hull City).

"And why did they have to play Wigan on Sunday when Barca had played Saturday and had the extra day?

"If we must all play on Saturday, why not play us at 12.45pm and them at 5.30pm? We have an extra 'day' to recover, and so would they. I think everyone would agree on that but there is something in this country that goes outside my understanding. I don't understand."