Jose
Mourinho says Nemanja Matic's suspension has damaged English football's
credibility.
The Chelsea midfielder is banned for Sunday's League Cup final after he
reacted to a heavy Ashley Barnes tackle last weekend by shoving the Burnley
man to the ground.
Matic had his ban shortened from three games to two during the week, but
that reduction failed to pacify Mourinho, who showed up at the Goals on
Sunday studio last weekend to vent his spleen about Barnes' 'career-ending'
tackle.
Mourinho refused to comment further at his Friday press conference, but he
revisited the subject at a later briefing and claimed English football's
reputation is in danger of being undermined.
"We must take care of our football," he said. "It's not about how many
millions are watching on television. It's about the feeling and respect and
credibility, what people think about it.
"Strong credibility. This is something English football cannot lose. You
lose credibility when a player like Matic is suspended, and another player
can play this weekend.
"I don't think you can have any doubt that all around the world people open
their mouths with surprise at how this can be possible."
Mourinho has complained about a perceived 'campaign' against Chelsea this
season which he believes has affected refereeing performances.
Speaking ahead of Wembley he said: "It's easy to cope with a mistake. It's
not easy to cope with lots of mistakes. It's not easy. We try. Hopefully the
final is a good final."
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