To be or not to be day, for Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho will lose his job at the end of this season if Inter Milan fail to progress past his former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League tonight, according to an Italian news agency.

Jose Mourinho is under pressure to deliver.

The source, close to Internationale, told Soccernet: "The Inter chairman, Moratti, bought Mourinho to win the Champions League, simple as that. If he loses at Chelsea, he is out, out at the end of the season.

"Inter are not paying him 11 million euros after tax just to win the league, they can do that all the time, but they cannot seem to get past the last-16 in the Champions League, and that's why they hired Jose Mourinho.

"If Inter fail again to make an impression in the Champions League they will need to find a manager who can, so that is what is at stake for Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Inter are the most powerful, financially sound and strongest club in Italy. They have won the title four years in a row, three under Roberto Mancini, and should win it again, although they have had a ten-point lead whittled down to one point.

"The Italian fans, the media, and everyone in Italy do not see Jose Mourinho as 'the Special One' - far from it, in fact.

"Don't forget in Italy we have World Cup winners, Champions League winners, and they all come without all the fuss and baggage that Jose Mourinho brings with him, so we are not besotted with Jose Mourinho as you are in England."

Mourinho is in the middle of a personal feud with one of his star players, Mario Balotelli, as the source added: "He is extremely gifted on the pitch, but he is young and moody, difficult to manage, and Jose Mourinho has left him at home. They have a longstanding feud. He was asked by the Italian media why, and he replied that he will only talk about the players who are here.

"Mourinho is not liked by the media, or by the Inter fans. Mourinho says he wants to go back to England, and much depends on what happens at Chelsea."

source: espn

Inter manager Jose Mourinho has received a three game ban and was fined 40,000 EURO after strongly criticising official persons

Jose Mourinho made "handcuffs" gesture after Inter's players Samuel and Cordoba were sent off and Samuel Eto'o got yellow card against Sampdoria.

The gesture has been interpreted as a way of suggesting his side have been victimised by referees in Serie A.

Mourinho had also insulted the officials at half-time on the way to the dressing room.

Samuel and Cordoba were both sent off in the first half of the match, while Eto'o was booked for allegedly diving.

When Eto'o received the yellow card, Mourinho sparked and while laughing he made the handcuffs gesture in front of photographers and TV cameras.

Mourinho - did not speak to the media after the match against Sampdoria.

Serie A officials said the punishment came after Mourinho had "repeatedly challenged the officials, especially by mimicking handcuffs with his wrists and arms crossed, and faced the crowds and television cameras... Also, he insulted the referee and his assistants in the tunnel and also repeatedly insulted officials."

"Each time there are over-the-top gestures or comments it creates exasperation," Italian Football Association president Giancarlo Abete told Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport's website.

"This is a delicate phase of the season, we need respect for everyone else because over-excited football is no good."

Defenders Samuel and Cordoba received one-game bans for their dismissals but their Inter team-mates Esteban Cambiasso and Sulley Muntari were given two-match bans for off-the-field incidents in the fiery encounter.

Cambiasso was punished for trying to punch an opposition player in the tunnel at half-time, while Muntari swore at the fourth official.

Inter are five points ahead of Roma at the top of the Serie A.

Mourinho will stay in Inter till the end of 2011/2012 season

(GSM) - Internazionale coach Jose Mourinho insists he intends to honor his stay in Italy and remain with the Nerazzurri until 2012.

Mourinho extended his contract last year, however some still believe he could leave after this season comes to an end.

Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has been constantly linked with a move back to England where he enjoyed great success. His relation with the Italian media has deteriorated after the media criticized him for his style of management and continuous off-the-pitch rants.

The Portuguese tactician has voiced his desire to return to England on many occasions, but he insists that he wants to see out his contract with Inter until 2012.

"There are no friends in football, so to be able to say that I am the friend of my ex-president Roman Abramovich makes me happy and one day this will happen with Moratti because the relationship with him is positive and sincere," Mourinho told Sky Sport Italia.

"When I am no longer a coach I will remember a president who has always been fair with me and I hope that he remembers me in the future as a positive trainer, but we are speaking about the future.

"Because at this moment I am and I'll be Inter coach.

"On the contrary of what was said when I signed until 2012, I did it with the intention of staying until 2012.

"Me and the club have done it with the conviction to go forward until 2012."

Mourinho joined Inter last season and won the Serie A with Inter in his first season in Italy. It is likely that Inter will win a second consecutive Italian league title. However, Mourinho has been under-fire after failing to raise Inter's standards on the European scene.

Mourinho Pleased With 'Well-Deserved' Win Over Livorno

Inter Coach Mourinho Pleased With 'Well-Deserved' Win Over Livorno. The 'Special One' thinks his team had the match under control. Inter coach Jose Mourinho has heaped praise on his team for their hard-fought 1-0 win against Livorno in the Coppa Italia.

It took a Wesley Sneijder free kick in the 59th minute to separate the two sides, and the Nerazzurri now advance to the next round of the tournament.

"I think that Inter deserved the victory," Mourinho declared to the inter.it. "The team was compact, and everything was under control.

"We had some great chances to go ahead from the start, and even in the second half, we could have closed the match out earlier.

"I am pleased, as there were no injuries, and now we can think about the quarter-finals.

According to Mourinho's counterpart, Serse Cosmi, the handball which led to the Dutchman's goal, was not non-existent.

"The Livorno coach has the right to complain," Mourinho responded. "If he is correct or not, I do not know.

"But I believe that a team that has four or five clear chances on goal deserves to really win the match," he summed up.

source: Goal.com

Arrogant quotes by Mourinho

The best team lost. After they scored only one team played, the other one just defended for the whole game. [on losing to Liverpool in Europe]

It was a goal that came from the moon - from the Anfield stands [defeat against Liverpool in the Champions League]

I am not concerned about how Chelsea are viewed morally. What does concern me is that we are treated in a different way to other clubs. Some clubs are treated as devils, some are treated as angels. I don't think we are so ugly that we should be seen as the devil and I don't think Arsene Wenger and David Dein are so beautiful that they should be viewed as angels.

Buying players for Chelsea is the hardest job in the Premier League.

I can say to him in the next 10 years we will compare trophies at Chelsea and at Liverpool. And he will lose.
[on Steven Gerrard]

We spoke yesterday so for me that is enough. If he understands me now, life will be easy for him, if he still doesn't understand me, then he must have another IQ test [on criticism by Ricardo Carvalho]

We have eight matches and eight victories, with 16 goals, but people say we cannot play, that we are a group of clowns. This is not right.

This was a victory that we truly deserved, and now we can set our sights on qualifying from our next couple of games

Inter have high jumped from the bottom to the top of Group F, in the space of 90 minutes in this season’s UEFA Champions League, after accounting for Dynamo Kiev 2-1 in Ukraine.

The Nerazzurri went behind midway through the first half, when Andriy Shevchenko put the hosts ahead, however two very late goals to Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder proved to be enough for the Italians.

“This was a victory that we truly deserved, and now we can set our sights on qualifying from our next couple of games,” Jose Mourinho declared to Sky in a post-match interview.

“I think in the second half, we changed the character and personality of the team. I made some changes, but the team responded well to the message I gave them at the interval.

“They achieved this result by fighting tooth and nail for it, and they all played with their hearts on their sleeves as well. We deserved to win,” Mourinho reaffirmed.

As previously mentioned, the reigning Italian champions are now top of their group after four rounds of matches, however the race to progress is still well and truly up for grabs.

He continued, “The battle of qualification is more open than ever. It’s a very balanced group, and it is an incredible situation with just four teams.

“This match for us will be a starting point to improve our performances in the competition.

“I think that we will be able to qualify with just a win now, so I want a packed San Siro stadium for our next game in Europe.”

The Nerazzurri travel to the Camp Nou on match day five, to take on Barcelona, whilst they play host to the reigning Russian champions Rubin Kazan in the final round of matches.

source: Goal.com

Something worth RESPECT!

Mourinho is currently on a run of 123 home league matches unbeaten (38 with Porto, 60 with Chelsea and 25 with Inter). His last and only home league defeat came when Porto were defeated 3–2 by Beira-Mar on 23 February 2002.

Mourinho statement: Not much sucess with Inter so far

Inter boss Jose Mourinho has said in an interview with Portuguese daily A Bola that the Nerazzurri do not yet feature in his career highlights, but he says that’s only because they are a work in progress.

“Among are certainly the draw against Sporting Lisbon with a ten-man Uniao Leiria, then the UEFA Cup I won with Porto in 2003 and the first league title with Chelsea,” Mourinho recalled.

“As for Inter, I don’t have indelible memories yet, because I am an ambitious person and always hungry. I want new challenges and new conquests. And only then will they be imprinted in my memory.”

The ‘Special One’ received a touchline ban on Monday after being sent off for dissent during Sunday’s game at Cagliari and will sit in the stands on Wednesday night as the Beneamata welcome Napoli to the Stadio San Siro.

source: kikil.com

Mourinho statements before Dinamo Kiev - Inter match

Inter boss Jose Mourinho has dismissed suggestions that everything is on the line for his team against Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday, stating the match is not “like a final” as some have suggested.

“I do not believe tomorrow’s match is crucial and the reason is simple. If any of the four teams in the group were to win tomorrow, they will still not be assured of qualification from the group,” he explained at a press conference.

“Therefore, I don’t see this match as a final.”

Inter have had several injuries to contend with recently. Mourinho admitted he is not yet sure of his starting XI, with the likes of Thiago Motta, Wesley Sneijder, Mario Balotelli, Cristian Chivu, and Sulley Muntari all in doubt.

“I have to see how they are all doing,” he continued. “Training today will be crucial in deciding who I send out and who I do not.

“They will tell me, in the presence of the medical staff, whether they are able to play or not.”

Dynamo Kiev striker Andriy Shevchenko has been in good form lately, unlike his time at Chelsea under Mourinho.

“He told me the reason for this when we met at the San Siro two weeks ago. He claimed that for the first time in three years, he did not have problems with his shoulder and was able to train with continuity,” revealed the ex-Porto tactician.

source: kikil.com

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Liverpools manager Rafa Benítez likes Chelsea without José Mourinho

Rafael Benítez has said any tensions between him and Chelsea disappeared when José Mourinho left Stamford Bridge. With neither man seeking to disguise their dislike for each other, fixtures between Chelsea and Liverpool came to carry as much edge as any game in the Premier League calendar. However, the Liverpool manager said that since Mourinho's sacking two years ago, he has enjoyed an excellent rapport with his successors."I have had a very good relationship with all of them," he said. "It was good with Mourinho at the beginning – but he changed when we started winning. That wasn't my responsibility. Carlo Ancelotti is very competitive but he does it with respect. He doesn't need to do these [mind games]. He is a professional."Luiz Felipe Scolari was a good professional, a nice person, someone you could talk with before and after games. He has a lot of experience and is a good manager."This will be the first time that Ancelotti and Benítez have met in anything other than a European Cup final – Milan gained revenge in 2007 for their stunning reverse two years earlier in Istanbul.Benítez said he was bemused by comments from the Liverpool defender Fábio Aurélio that at half-time in Florence on Tuesday night he had been as angry as his players had ever seen him. However, he admitted he was more annoyed at being two down to Fiorentina than trailing Ancelotti's Milan by three goals in the 2005 final."In Istanbul, we were in a final in my first year at Liverpool and we were 3-0 down so I couldn't be angry, I had to be positive. Maybe Fábio hasn't been with me for too many games. At half-time you have to react but my players know I will give analysis, solutions and advice rather than shouting too much. All I said is that from the manager down to the kit man we had been very poor in the first half."
source: guardian.co.uk

02.09.2007

Jose Mourinho's statemant for BBC Sport after they lost to Aston Vila:

"It was a good game with good teams but a result that Chelsea didn't deserve at all.

"We dominated the first half, reacted well to their goal and we deserved to get a point at least.

"We made a mistake at the corner for their goal. We shouldn't be conceding goals like that but also had enough chances to score."