José Mourinho is prepared to strain relations with the Football Association yet further by regularly referring to match officials as “weak and naive” when frustrated by their displays, having seen Arsène Wenger escape sanction for using that phrase this season.
The Chelsea manager, who is appealing against the £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban imposed after he described referees as being “afraid” to award decisions in his side’s favour, pointedly aired the phrase himself for the first time in a post-match television interview in Kiev on Tuesday. Mourinho was bemoaning the Slovenian official Damir Skomina’s decision not to award a first-half penalty when Serhiy Rybalka tripped Cesc Fàbregas. He subsequently praised the official’s overall display, while saying Skomina had made “one crucial mistake”.
Uefa is yet to determine whether Mourinho’s comments could be deemed as improper conduct under its guidelines, though the Chelsea manager believes he would be on safe ground whenever he makes the same assessment of a referee in the Premier League. Wenger was not punished by the governing body for describing Mike Dean’s performance as “weak and naive” in the 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge last month, in which the Arsenal players Gabriel Paulista and Santi Cazorla were sent off. The Brazilian defender’s red card was rescinded following the examination of video evidence.
Mourinho believes the FA’s reluctance to punish Wenger set a precedent and effectively drew the line as to what constitutes improper conduct and what is acceptable. It is understood he is prepared to test that theory by using the phrase whenever he perceives decisions to have gone against his team this season. He had suggested last week that he and his fellow managers “can write in a little book and, when we go into a press conference, we know ‘afraid’ costs £50,000, while ‘weak and naive’ we can use”.
The Portuguese returned from Tuesday’s draw in Kiev encouraged by his team’s overall display and with the contributions of Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic in particular. Hazard – whose national manager, Marc Wilmots, is believed to be concerned over the player suffering burnout under Mourinho, which has been construed in some quarters as him pushing the Belgian to move to Real Madrid – worked hard defensively and was a menacing presence as an attacking force. He is contracted until 2020, though rumours of interest from the Bernabéu are likely to persist for the remainder of the season.
Matic was more authoritative than of late in his deep-lying midfield role and subsequently confirmed his relationship with the manager had not been damaged after he was granted only 28 minutes as a substitute before being replaced by Loïc Rémy in the recent defeat by Southampton. “I am professional and I respect all decisions of the coach,” said Matic, who had been introduced at half-time against Southampton with the score level at 1-1 and departed for Rémy with his team trailing 3-1. “In my life I have never had a problem with any coach because all coaches respect that I am very professional. I do my best.
“So with Mourinho it is the same. He knows he can count on me always. He respects that, I respect not only him but all coaches which I’ve had in my life. I always try to learn something from them. I will keep it like this until the end of my career. Every day is a new experience.”
Mourinho had urged the Serbia international, dismissed in his country’s recent loss to Portugal, to keep his play as simple as possible as he seeks to rebuild his form and confidence. “Against Dynamo I think I did what he wanted, what he asked from me,” added Matic. “So you have to ask him again, if he is happy with my game. Again I can say only that I try always to give my best. Of course confidence has not been high, but not only for me. The team is not in a good position in the Premier League. I think that is very difficult for us.
“But, game by game, we will be better and better because we have quality. We work very hard, we deserve more, so we will see in the future what we can do. We have to show that we are a team, because individually we can’t do anything. Football is a collective sport. But we won the Premier League and the League Cup with the manager [last season]. We did great things together. I am sure we will continue: maybe this year we will win something also.”
