Mourinho lays into rivals
Inter coach Jose Mourinho courted controversy again today when he returned fire on his Serie A rivals in a row over a contested penalty in Sunday's 3-3 draw with Roma.
Polemics have been flying since 18-year-old striker Mario Balotelli, who scored twice, helped league leaders Inter come back from 3-1 down by converting a penalty after going down in the area.
Roma coach Luciano Spalletti and midfielder Daniele De Rossi said after the match that Balotelli had dived and Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri, whose team trail Inter by seven points in second place, sided with them on a television show.
"I don't like intellectual prostitution. I like intellectual honesty," Mourinho told a news conference. "There has been great intellectual manipulation over the last few days. A great job has been done to manipulate public opinion.
"Over the last two days we have not talked about a Roma side with great players, lots of players I wanted to have with me, that will finish the season with zero titles.
"We have not talked about Milan, who will finish the season with zero titles. We have not talked about Juventus, who have won lots of points with refereeing mistakes.
"You cannot say it was not a penalty, you can say there is a doubt," said Mourinho, who frequently courted controversy during his three-year stint at Chelsea.
TV replays did not clearly show Balotelli making contact with a Roma player, nor did they prove he deliberately tumbled.
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Debono D
Mar 4th 2009, 09:01
Dear Matthew Bartolo, I agree fully with you that Mourinho may be pompous, arrogant and full of himself.......BUT, it seems that a great team like Inter that has all the media in Itally manipulated by other Great Itanian teams, continousily trying to manipulate the public opinion. He is the man that will not stand for any nonsense and is not afraid to answer the press with what he thinks......after all that is what the press wants.........HIS opinion. We do not hear on the Italian media the big disappiontments that the other great clubs are having. We only see the points that might give some doubts about certain actions. Re last Sundays game the media hardly mentionted the clear handball by Panucci, when he elbowed Balotelli on the head and the ball in the same action, was that discussed as a clear penalty?????
Mourinho has always said that he only concentrates on the game and if the media lets him do his job....everybody will be able to judge whether he is great or not!
Alexander Valenzia
Mar 4th 2009, 08:50
Matthew
Mourinho is a great coach who wins titles unlike others. He protects his players and says what he feels. I only hope we manage to keep him another year or two before he decides to move on. I am sure any team like Juve and Milan and Rome would take him on as their coach.
jamie pace
Mar 4th 2009, 07:38
sorry mathew the only place i know he will be put in...is winning the scudetto...you and i know the the man is the special one....so we got to give him that respect he deserves....forza inter....
charles zammit
Mar 4th 2009, 07:33
ehe he will cut down to size after winning another title ....hallina man
Matthew Bonello
Mar 3rd 2009, 22:41
What a pompous, arrogant, full-of-himself coach. Like other big mouths before him, sooner or later he'll be put in his place!