Jose Mourinho’s stadium ban for Stoke EPL clash over filthy referee spray at West Ham

JOSE Mourinho’s stadium ban for Chelsea’s EPL clash at Stoke was due to a filthy, aggressive spray at referees - with exact details just released by the FA.

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JOSE Mourinho is serving his one-match stadium ban at Stoke this weekend after a foul-mouthed rant at referee Jonathan Moss, the Football Association revealed on Friday.

The FA have released the written reasons for the case, which Mourinho opted not to contest and say Mourinho refused to leave the officials’ dressing room at West Ham’s Upton Park while aiming a barrage of abuse at Moss.

Moss’s testimony of the half-time incident from struggling Chelsea’s defeat on October 24 claims Mourinho was furious after Nemanja Matic had been sent-off for two bookable offences and the visitors denied two goals, one due to goal-line technology and the other due to offside.

“When myself and my colleagues left the field of play at half time, as we entered the tunnel area to get to our dressing room, Mr Mourinho the Chelsea manager was waiting for us clearly agitated and began aggressively asking about first half decisions,” Moss says in the written reasons.

“Rather than publically (sic) speak to him I asked him to step into the entrance of my dressing room escorted by Simon Sutton, the West Ham United security manager.

“Mr Mourinho asked me about a tackle, an offside and a goal line clearance. I gave him brief answers to his questions. After this I asked him to leave the dressing room area.

“He refused. I asked him again. After he refused again I asked Mr Sutton to escort him from the room. At this point Mr Mourinho became very aggressive and animated.

“He shouted that you f***ing referees are weak... (Arsenal manager Arsene) Wenger is right about you... you are f***ing weak.

“I advised Mr Mourinho not to take his position in the technical area for the second half due to his actions.”

Reports from the assistant referees and fourth official corroborated Moss’ comments, the written reasons said.

Jose Mourinho has it out with referee Jonathan Moss during the West Ham game.

Mourinho was informed of the charge on October 26 and admitted it three days later before the sanction was announced on Monday.

The Blues boss chose not to appeal, announcing his decision on Friday. “It is clear from both the letter from Mr Mourinho and his submissions that he regrets the incident and to his credit he made an early admission,” the written reasons said.

“His behaviour was in the opinion of the commission unacceptable and he showed a total lack of respect for the match officials and the sanctuary of their changing room.

“That is a most serious matter and has to be dealt with accordingly.” The three-man commission argued a financial penalty “has little or no impact upon his behaviour” after assessing his previous disciplinary matters. He was, though, fined £40,000.

The commission also determined a touchline ban would be insufficient, given he would still have access to the tunnel area.

Mourinho on Friday accepted the punishment, having failed in an appeal against a suspended one-match stadium ban and £50,000 fine for a separate offence for comments made about officials following the loss to Southampton.

Jose Mourinho gives his best sad face during the West Ham game.

Mourinho is said to have hidden in a laundry basket when he was hit with a stadium ban 10 years ago but on Saturday he might be found on a street corner near Stoke City’s ground.

He will travel on the coach with the squad, but will have to make alternative arrangements for keeping in touch with his side’s progress as they seek a welcome three points.

A bristly Mourinho refused to confirm at his Friday news conference whether he had indeed defied a stadium ban in 2005 by hiding in a laundry basket during a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

Asked how the stadium ban would play out, he said: “I will travel with the players and will be with them until the moment someone stops me which is I think when I’m in the limit of the compound or the stadium or the facility.

“I don’t know where I will watch the game. Maybe I sit in a street corner with my iPad, I don’t know, maybe I don’t even watch the game, because I can’t contact (my assistants) so what’s the point?”

Mourinho said he has run through every scenario with his assistants Steve Holland, Rui Faria and Silvino Louro for Saturday’s game, and will be fully responsible for what transpires despite being absent.

“If after 10 minutes we are playing with seven men my assistants won’t be prepared for that and they will have to decide for themselves,” Mourinho said.

“We’ve looked at the most incredible scenarios, you can imagine from winning 4-0, losing 4-0 and between that you have 1000 options, injuries, red cards to the keeper, right back, striker, the winger, we went through them all and are prepared.

“What is most important is that the players and assistants feel protected by the fact that it’s my responsibility and it’s just for the players to play and for the assistants to be with them and be supportive with them.”

Mourinho, whose champions have lost six of their opening 11 Premier league games and sit 15th, said he had not appealed against the ban because “it’s stupid to fight a fight you know you will lose” but suggested that more managers will be banned from stadiums if the current trend continues.

“Stadium bans should be related to something really serious in terms of aggressivity. This is connected to words, to complaints,” he said.

“In the future the stadium bans will happen a lot of times unless our association and those around Europe question in a very serious and legal way about the rights of the managers.”

Originally published as Jose Mourinho’s stadium ban for Stoke EPL clash over filthy referee spray at West Ham