Mourinho Won’t Appeal Stadium Ban

Jose Mourinho has chosen not to appeal against the stadium ban that the Football Association issued him with in the aftermath of Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on October 24th. It means he will not be present in the stadium for the Blues’ game against Stoke City this weekend.

The 52 year old can travel with the team and be responsible for substitutions, but he will not be allowed to enter The Britannia Stadium. Speaking of his decision not to appeal the ban Mourinho said, “I have decided to give up. It is stupid to fight a fight you know you are going to lose”.

The punishment against Mourinho came on the back of his behaviour during his side’s game against West Ham United at The Boleyn Ground. The charge was for misconduct owing to the Portuguese manager’s language and behaviour. It is believed that he attempted to enter the referee’s room during the half-time interval in order to speak to the match referee about his decisions.

Mourinho was sent to the stands for the second half of the match and had to watch from the West Ham executive box as Andy Carroll scored the winner in the London derby. Asked about where he will watch the Stoke game from and how he feels about the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ said, “You can imagine that it’s not easy. You can imagine how I feel. I have no plans to watch. Maybe I sit in the street corner with my iPad. Maybe I don’t even watch the game. Maybe, live scores? Results?”

On top of the stadium plan Jose Mourinho was also given a £40,000 fine. After the loss to West Ham Chelsea went on to lose to Stoke City, the side they face this weekend, on penalties in the League Cup before losing 3-1 at home to Liverpool. It is the sixth loss Mourinho’s side has suffered in the league this season, leaving them in 15th place in the Premier League on 11 points after the same amount of games.

In a separate incident, Mourinho has been fined £50,000 by the Football Association and given a one match suspended stadium ban because of comments he made in the wake of his team’s game against Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho did appeal against the fine but the FA dismissed his appeal.

Speaking about the stadium ban that will keep him from the touchline this weekend the defending Premier League champion’s manager said, “This stadium ban is connected to words, to complaints. I can imagine that in the future we are going to have lots of managers with stadium bans, because the stadium bans should be related to something really serious”.

Stoke v Chelsea Match Preview (Premier League) – 7th November 2015

Chelsea head to Stoke on Saturday without manager Jose Mourinho who will be serving a one-match stadium ban. The Blues will be desperate to turn around their poor form, but will they be able to shrug off a demanding week and win at the Britannia without their manager there? Or, could the lack of the Mourinho side show actually help the players?

The manager is expected to have basically his full complement of players available on Saturday, with only long term absentee, Thibaut Courtois, definitely out. Branislav Ivanovic is expected to be back for this game, although it’s not certain he’ll start. Kurt Zouma has been deputising for him at right back, and he’s been one of the few solid performers in the side. Diego Costa escaped a ban for his altercation with Martin Srktel, so he’s available to start.

This fixture last season was a defining game for Mourinho and his team. Goals from John Terry and Cesc Fabregas helped them claim a win that ensured they’d be top on Christmas Day, and it promoted big celebrations from the players at full time. This game will be very different, but possibly even more crucial for the team. With Stoke a place above Chelsea in 14th, they really have to get a result here, a fourth defeat in five league games is unthinkable.

Of course, the Blues have made this trip pretty recently. They visited Stoke last week in the Capital One Cup, and they managed to grab a late equaliser to get a 1-1 draw. The game went to penalties, and Mourinho’s side were knocked out. He won’t be in the stadium to see this one, after being handed a ban by the FA for his behaviour at West Ham, when he was sent from the touchline.

It’s been an awful week for Mourinho, who’s had bans, court cases and rumours of mutinies thrown at him following the Liverpool defeat. With his job under pressure, some big worries in his personal life, a weekend away from the game might not be a punishment from the FA, but a much needed lifeline.

Of course, the manager will most likely be involved in this game up until the teams get to the dressing room, and with modern technology he could easily keep in contact with the team. But, this should prevent him from having post-match media duties, and a break from the kinds of headlines that have followed his recent interviews could do the players a world of good.

While this is far and away from the pressure of the title fight that they had last season, a win here could provoke similar celebrations. While Mourinho should get more time to turn things around, he knows that their current form can’t keep going. No matter where he is on Saturday, if he can inspire a turnaround, that’ll be a massive boost to the team.

LCN Verdict: 1-1 draw

Mourinho Facing Carneiro Legal Action

The Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will be the subject of an individual league action from the club’s former first-team doctor Eva Carneiro, it has emerged.

Unless there is an out of court settlement over the issue Jose Mourinho will have to appear at an employment tribunal. Carneiro’s lawyers are already suing the football club itself over constructive dismissal claims, but the legal claim against the Portuguese manager will be a separate one.

Carneiro was dropped from first-team duties earlier in the season after Mourinho called her ‘naive’ for her decision to treat Eden Hazard on the pitch during Chelsea’s opening game of the season against Swansea City at Stamford Bridge. The doctor and Chelsea’s physio, Jon Fearn, ran on to the pitch when Hazard was down injured and they had been called on several times by the match referee.

Mourinho was angry with their decision to enter the field of play. Chelsea were already down to ten men after their goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was sent off for a deliberate foul on Swansea’s striker Bafetimbi Gomis. It meant that Hazard had to leave the pitch, temporarily leaving the Blues with just nine players.

Mourinho said after the match, “I was unhappy with my medical staff. They were impulsive and naive. Whether you are a kit man, doctor or secretary on the bench you have to understand the game. You have to know you have one player less and to assist a player you must be sure he has a serious problem. I was sure Eden did not have a serious problem. He had a knock. He was tired”.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was widely criticised for his comments but the Football Association cleared him of using discriminatory language in the incident. Carneiro, however, claimed that she was not spoke to personally during the FA’s investigation into the matter, despite the fact that the FA themselves say she was given an opportunity to speak.

The fact that Eva Carneiro’s lawyers have launched an individual legal claim against Mourinho on the grounds of victimisation and discrimination suggests that they feel the manager was instrumental in Carneiro’s apparent demotion in the aftermath of the incident. Neither Carneiro nor her lawyers were willing to comment on the matter as the legal proceedings are still active, whilst Chelsea have also declined to comment on the matter.

The way the Football Association has handled the case has been criticised by Heather Rabbatts, an FA independent director, as well as by the Women in Football network group. Rabbatts is the chair of the governing body’s Inclusion Advisory Board and will question the FA chief executive Martin Glenn and the head of governance Darren Bailey about the handling of the case. Meanwhile the FA themselves will be investigation Rabbatts regarding her comments on the investigation.

The legal action is the latest moment in a series of difficult incidents for the Chelsea manager, with the Football Association having hit him with two separate fines of £40,000 and £50,000 as well as a stadium ban and a one-match suspended stadium ban for incidents regarding his behaviour towards referees. It also comes on the back of his side’s 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool, leaving his side 15th in the Premier League with just eleven points after the same amount of games.

Fabregas: I’m Not Organising A Revolt

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has denied that he is anything to do with rumoured unrest in the Blues’ dressing room. The ‘Secret Footballer’ blog, apparently run by an ex-professional footballer who still has contacts in the game, claimed that the Spaniard was ‘the leader’ of a ‘mini-revolt’ at the defending Premier League champions.

With the Blues having lost six of their first eleven Premier League games so far this season, culminating in the 3-1 home loss to Liverpool, rumours have circulated in several quarters that Chelsea’s players aren’t happy with Mourinho’s management of the squad. Garry Richardson, from the BBC, was told by a source that a first team member of the Chelsea squad said he would rather ‘lose than win’ for Mourinho. Speculation ensued as to who that player might be, with Fabregas the main suspect.

The Spanish international has been quick to dismiss the links, however, taking to Twitter to say, “I would like to clarify that contrary to a few reports from some websites, I am extremely happy at Chelsea and have an excellent relationship with the manager. There may be certain individuals from the outside trying to destabilise this club but I strongly believe that we will bounce back and come good again”.

The 28 year old joined last year’s champions from Barcelona in June 2014. He was instrumental in Chelsea’s championship winning campaign last year, but has been less than impressive so far this time out. The former Arsenal man has only managed to find the net once so far this season, during the Champion’s League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv on the 16th of September. Fabregas was substituted after just 45 minutes in the match against West Ham last week and he only made it on to the pitch for 20 minutes against Liverpool on Saturday.

Mourinho Receives One Match Stadium Ban

Jose Mourinho has been given a one match stadium ban and fined £40,000 by the FA. The action comes on the back of the Portuguese manager’s behaviour during the defeat to West Ham on the 24th of October.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was sent into the stands by the match referee Jon Moss after he attempted to get into the referee’s room during the half-time break. The referee’s room is a private area that manager’s are forbidden from entering.

The 52 year old could appeal against the Football Association’s punishment when he receives their written reasons this week, but if he doesn’t then he won’t be allowed to enter the stadium during the defending Premier League champion’s game against Stoke City on Saturday.

To make matters worse for the Portuguese manager this stadium ban and fine is separate the the one-match suspended stadium ban he received alongside a £50,000 fine for things said in relation to the referee after Chelsea’s loss to Southampton on 3rd October. Mourinho described the fine as a ‘disgrace’ and appealed against it, so it would be a surprise if he declined the opportunity to appeal against this one too, even if he did admit to a misconduct charge over his language and his behaviour during the incident.

The Football Association had originally also lodged an improper conduct charge against Mourinho’s assistant Silvino Louro. They have since withdrawn the charge but reminded him of his responsibilities.

The stadium ban and fine merely add to Mourinho’s problems, with his side languishing in 15th place in the Premier League having lost six games from their opening eleven matches in the top flight. It is Chelsea’s worse start to a league campaign since 1978-1979 when a win was only worth 2 points. It is also officially the worst defence of a Premier League crown since Blackburn Rovers in 1994.

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, former Chelsea midfielder – and the club’s all time top scorer – Frank Lampard offered a defence of Jose Mourinho, saying, “He is a world-class manager. I think they should stick with him but results need to change now”.

Mourinho: There’s No Dressing Room Revolt

Jose Mourinho has denied that there is anything even approaching a revolt from the players in his Chelsea team, suggesting that it’s the journalists who are claiming it’s true that are being dishonest, not his players.

The London club’s 3-1 loss at home to Liverpool over the weekend means that the defending Premier League champions have now lost six of their first eleven league matches. The result has left them 15th in the top flight table, just four points off the relegation zone.

Mourinho, speaking in his pre-match press conference before his side play against Dynamo Kiev in the Champion’s League, said, “It’s a very sad accusation because you are accusing players, or one player, of dishonesty. It is a question for the players. If I accuse you to be a dishonest journalist, you would be very upset and probably would take legal action”.

The Blues only lost three games in the league last season, yet they are already 14 points behind the current league leaders Manchester City. The chance of them retaining their title is virtually zero and they also face a serious challenge to even make it into the top four.

That has led some members of the press to speculate on whether or not the Chelsea players are still playing for their manager, with the BBC’s Gary Richardson being told by a source that one player said recently, “I’d rather lose than win for him [Mourinho]”. It is a sensational quote if true, and many people are suggesting that the manager’s relationship with Eden Hazard is at breaking point.

The self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ was asked whether he thought he had taken ‘too many bullets’ for his players and he replied, “For my players I do everything, I am not going to change”. The implication in his answer being that he is incensed that his players have been accused of not playing for him as he would do anything for them.

It is generally felt that the mask has been slipping on Mourinho in recent weeks, with ex-pros, such as Jamie Carragher and Ruud Gullit, suggesting that the Portuguese boss is ‘throwing his toys out of the pram’. Asked if he had lost his dignity he replied, “This moment the way I am going to show my dignity is not to answer you”.

In recent weeks Jose Mourinho has been determined to create a siege mentality, suggesting that Chelsea have been the victims of a conspiracy from the Football Association. His feelings weren’t assuaged after Liverpool scored their equaliser after the two minutes of added time had expired at the end of the first half, as well as when Lucas Leiva was lucky to avoid a second yellow card for a tackle on Ramires during the second half.

Chelsea were fortunate themselves, however, when John Terry was not punished for what appeared to be a deliberate handball. Diego Costa also avoided the referee’s notebook after committing a stamp on Martin Skrtel’s chest when the two players came together in a tackle. Mourinho ignored those incidents, though, and insinuated that the club’s recent form is, in part, down to the lack of luck they’re having with officials. He said, “I know why [we’re struggling]. I would be here for a long time to explain, it is a combination of factors. Some of them I don’t want to touch. But, yes, I know. Everything is football-related”.

Chelsea play host to Dynamo Kiev in the Champion’s League on Wednesday night before travelling to The Britannia Stadium to face Stoke – the team that knocked them out of the League Cup during the week – on Saturday.

Chelsea v Dynamo Kiev Preview (Champions League) – 4th November 2015

Chelsea face a make or break clash in their Champions League group, with Dynamo Kiev heading to the Bridge. After taking a point in the last meeting between the two sides, the Blues are third behind Kiev in the table. They need a win here to make the last 16, but the Ukrainian side will come here confident that they can pick up a point.

Jose Mourinho showed how good he is at grinding out results in that game in Kiev, while his side put on a strong defensive display. They came close to taking the win on a few occasions, but the 0-0 draw left them sitting outside of the top two at the half way stage. An improvement is needed, and the Blues realistically need to win their last three matches to top this group. Can they kick that off with a win, or will their hopes be in tatters after yet another poor result?

The team don’t really have the same fear factor as they did at this stage last year. They were blowing teams away then, now they can barely create a chance unless Willian is taking a set piece. It’s clear that Mourinho will have to take a new approach for this game, but can he inspire his side to victory?

The manager likely knows how Champions League results in 2012 cost Roberto Di Matteo his job. The club were struggling to make the top two, so Roman Abramovich moved to sack a boss who was loved by the fans after winning the European Cup just six months earlier. It seems nothing can save a manager from the sack if they can’t get the team past the first hurdle in Europe.

The good news for Jose is that his team should be close to full strength in this game, with Branislav Ivanovic set for a return. The only absentee will be long term doubt Thibaut Courtois, who should be back in December. Both Pedro and Diego Costa picked up injuries, but neither seem to be a major doubt for the Kiev game.

Expect Mourinho to go a little more attacking with his selection this week, after fielding a defensively minded team in Ukraine. There are enough options up front that Mourinho has real competition for places, which should force some of that talent to kick on. With Costa up front, in form Willian behind him and the creative talents of Cesc Fabregas or Oscar, you’d fancy Chelsea to get that much needed win.

While it won’t be easy, we see the Blues getting the job done here. So far, the Champions League performances have been pretty solid, they’ve just been unlucky with results. With their backs to the wall, the team should do enough to turn things around, and get back into the qualifying spots.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Chelsea Player Wanted Over Canadian Sex Assault

A young forward player on Chelsea’s books is wanted in connection with an alleged sexual assault in Canada, along with his Brazilian team mate.

Lucas Piazon, currently on loan at Reading, and his Brazilian team mate Andrey de Silva Vetura, have had an arrest warrant issued in their names over an incident that is believed to have taken place during the Pan-Am games in July.

The claimant is a 21 year old woman who the pair met in a nightclub in Toronto on the 25th of July this year. Police said that the two Brazilian players met the victim and a friend before accompanying them back to a residence. A spokesman said, “It is alleged that…they socialised with the victim and accompanied the two women to a Toronto residence. The victim, once she arrived at home, went to sleep. They entered her bedroom and sexually assaulted her. She awoke and both of them left the residence”.

Mr Ventura is the goalkeeper for the Brazilian Serie B team Botafogo. The alleged assault happened on the day that the pair played in Brazil’s 3-1 win over Panama, with Piazon scoring a goal and Brazil winning a bronze medal in the competition. So far this season he has scored two goals in eight games for Reading in the Championship.

Both Chelsea and Reading have confirmed that they are aware of reports regarding the alleged assault, though they have both declined to comment on the matter any further.

Chelsea v Liverpool Match Preview (Premier League) – 31st October 2015

Jose Mourinho faces a massive 90 minutes of his Chelsea career this weekend, as Liverpool head to the Bridge. Jurgen Klopp’s side will be after a win, and they’ll be confident of getting one given the Blues’ recent form. After their struggles, can they get back on track in this one, or will the pressure on Mourinho’s shoulders grow yet greater?

There are doubts over the fitness of Diego Costa after the forward went off against Stoke with a rib injury. He could return in time to play, but he’s likely to face an uphill battle to start in this one. Branislav Ivanovic still doesn’t appear to be ready to return, so it’s unlikely the back four will change from the one that faced West Ham.

Liverpool head down to the capital on the back of three draws in their manager’s first three games at the helm. Klopp has yet to taste victory in the Premier League, and he’ll know a win here would delight his new fans. Both Southampton and Crystal Palace have managed victories here already this season, but can Chelsea produce a display like the one against Arsenal and pull off a big triumph of their own?

There have been rumours that a defeat here could cost Mourinho his job. While that may be a little bit of an exaggeration, a loss in this game would certainly do him no favours. Klopp will be eyeing the top four, and given how well Arsenal and the Manchester clubs are doing, it’s Chelsea’s spot that the Reds are looking to steal. Lose this, and Chelsea will be miles off the top four pace, with plenty of other sides beginning to eye it up. That would probably be enough for Abramovich to act.

So, Jose can’t really fathom losing here. The good news for him is he’s set to be back on the touchline despite his sending off last week. He’ll be hoping that will help his team bounce back, which is something they desperately need after losing at West Ham and going out of the League Cup. Their season seems to be falling apart all around them, losing their manager for the game might have been a blow too far, or an excuse too many.

There’s certainly unrest that Liverpool can take advantage of, but there are question marks over their team as well. They’ve not made the best start, and Klopp’s changes haven’t really suited them yet. This isn’t a bad time to play Liverpool, as they’re likely to be much stronger in a few months.

It could also be that the team need this big a fixture to refocus their minds. This is the kind of game that Mourinho’s teams specialise in, so maybe old habits will kick in and the team will click. It’s hard to know just how this one will go, but it could end up being a decisive point in the season, and the manager’s future.

LCN Verdict: 1-1 draw

Mourinho: Players Made Critics Look Stupid

Under fire Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hit out at former players working as pundits in the media and suggested that his current crop of players made them look ‘stupid’ after the Blues’ loss in their penalty shoot-out against Stoke in the League Cup.

Some pundits have suggested that the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’ has lost the dressing room, with some players no longer playing for the manage. Mourinho hit back at that notion and said, “What the players did tonight is face the people that write and say, ‘you are stupid. You think the players did not give everything to win the game? That is really sad”.

Chelsea played much better against the Potters than they have in recent games, though they couldn’t make their numerical advantage count when Bardsley was sent off for Stoke towards the end of normal time. The Blues went a goal behind when Jonathan Walters gave the home side the lead after 52 minutes and it seemed that the holders were destined for an early exit from the competition. Logic Remy scored an equaliser on the stroke of 90 minutes, however, sending the game into extra time.

Chelsea’s 11 men couldn’t find a way through the resolute defence of Stoke’s 10 men and the game went to a penalty shoot-out. Nine of the penalties were flawless before Eden Hazard saw his spot kick saved brilliantly by Jack Butland in the Stoke goal. It meant that Chelsea lost the game 5-4 on penalties despite having 59% possession and managing 24 shots on goal with nine of them on target.

Mourinho spoke to the media for the first time since Friday as he has refused to do so after his side’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham on Saturday and he also declined the opportunity before the League Cup game on Saturday. He used the opportunity to say, “For me it would be a fantastic situation if the players are against me, I can say, you don’t have results because the players are against me. What some people write and say is really bad for the players. Most of the people that do that used to be players. I think they think my players are like them when they were players. Maybe they were able to do that. My players tried everything”.

The result wasn’t the only bad thing to come out of the night for Mourinho either. He was also disappointed to see Diego Costa limp off the pitch after just 33 minutes with an injury. The Spanish international went to hospital with a suspected rib injury, meaning he might be unavailable for the defending Premier League champion’s game at the weekend. Mourinho said, “He is in hospital – but I don’t know what the situation is. Is he a doubt to face Liverpool? I don’t know. How did the injury happen? I think he punched himself”.

Having stormed to the Premier League title virtually unopposed last time out Chelsea have stumbled repeatedly during this campaign. Last night signalled their eighth loss in sixteen matches so far this season, whilst in the league they are in 15th place – 11 points behind leaders Manchester City.

Many of the national newspapers have claimed that Mourinho will be under huge pressure if Chelsea lose to Liverpool at the weekend, with the Daily Mirror reporting that some senior players are already expecting his departure in the near future. The 52 year old Portuguese boss said, “A few months ago I won a few matches and I was champion. People were saying there are things more important than results. Now, people say results are the most important thing. It’s a contradiction”.