Monday, January 11, 2010

Mourinho will have to go to court

ROME (AFP) - Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho looks set to face a penalty for insulting a journalist after the Football League referred his case to the sporting justice disciplinary committee.

Following Inter's 1-1 draw at Atalanta in December, Mourinho allegedly screamed abuse at Corriere dello Sport journalist Andrea Ramazzotti.

Ramazzotti had strayed into a restricted area to listen in to interviews the official Inter TV Channel were conducting with players after the game.

According to press reports, Mourinho, who later claimed he had told Ramazzotti several times before not to come into that area beside the club's team coach, swore at the reporter.

Corriere, alongside several other major Italian newspapers boycotted Mourinho's next press conference in protest.

Mourinho is accused of having violated article 1 of the sporting justice code by "using hurtful language towards sports journalist Andrea Ramazzotti" and of having "grabbed him by the forearms".

Inter have also been called before the sporting justice to explain their employee's actions.

Mourinho has often found himself in hot water this season in Italy, twice being sent-off and serving one-match touchline bans.

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