Why Mourinho was sent off

14 April 2012

The fourth official who banished Jose Mourinho to the stands during Chelsea's Carling Cup Final triumph today insisted that the Chelsea manager had been provoking Liverpool supporters.

Mourinho claimed that his finger-to-lips gesture was aimed at the press box but Phil Crossley felt compelled to send him down the tunnel.

"The Liverpool fans were upset," said Crossley. "It is my jurisdiction to make sure Mr Mourinho keeps strictly in the technical area, but he went 10 or 15 metres down the line. That's not acceptable behaviour.

"Once he had vacated the technical area I went to retrieve him and by the time I'd got hold of him I felt he had incited the supporters there.

"In my report to the FA I say the police said he should leave but I'd already made my mind up."

The Football Association are still considering what action to take over the incident but, while it was mentioned in the report referee Steve Bennett filed yesterday, Mourinho looks set to escape any ban.

Bennett said he agreed with Crossley that Mourinho's gesture, after Steven Gerrard headed an own-goal equaliser 11 minutes from the end of normal time, was an inflammatory act. Bennett said: "Safety issues can be brought into question and Mr Mourinho's removal was for unacceptable behaviour.

"I was alerted by the fourth official while my attention was drawn elsewhere. It was done quietly rather than making a bigger thing of it."

Mourinho continued to insist in an interview with Portuguese television yesterday that he was banished to the stands by the police.

The Portuguese went on to accuse the British media of treating him like a manager from a third world country.

"I wasn't sent off by the fourth official but by the authorities. This country is different and has its good and bad stuff. It was all because of a gesture to shut up the British press," said Mourinho.

"For them this is First World and Portugal is Third World. I won't shut up because Chelsea needed a Third World manager to win a trophy, something that didn't happen in the last five years."

It's no surprise Mourinho has responded in such a defiant way after victory over Liverpool in Cardiff banished last week's setbacks in the FA Cup against Newcastle and the Champions League against Barcelona.

Those successive defeats will have sown the odd seed of doubt in a few minds. A third loss on Sunday, compounded by Mourinho's histrionics, would have had observers concluding that the wheel-nuts were loosening significantly on the Chelsea band wagon.

Chelsea to their credit though, stayed strong despite the shock of John Arne Riise's early goal. They dug in, and fashioned a deserved victory after extra-time.

There is nothing like a bit of silverware to restore self-belief.

Mourinho knew his team had to stop the sequence of defeats which is why, on the day after the Champions League defeat in Catalonia, he called a team meeting. It was no time for niceties. He got stuck into his players and particularly those with the bigger reputations.

Winning the Carling Cup will not be enough for Mourinho though. He will waste no time in reminding his players that the Premiership is the priority as they put the euphoria of Sunday behind them and concentrate on the more prosaic challenge of Norwich this weekend.

The gap between Chelsea and main rivals Manchester United is now six points and, for a short time this Saturday afternoon, it could even be down to three. That's because United's match at Crystal Palace kicks off at 3pm while Chelsea's clash at Norwich is scheduled for 5.15pm.

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has no doubts that they will maintain their supremacy in the league. "The title? We have won the title," he said.

Why Mourinho was sent off

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