
Jose
Mourinho delivered a remarkable speech following Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat
to Southampton on Saturday Night Football.
The Blues manager was asked just one question by Sky Sports reporter Greg
Whelan and responded with an answer that exceeded seven minutes.
Here is the full transcript…
Greg Whelan: "Jose, what did you make of your team's
performance today?"
Jose Mourinho: "Look, I think you know me and I think don't
run away from responsibilities. First of all I want to say that because we
are in such a bad moment, you shouldn't be afraid to be also honest.
"When we are at the top I understand that they is quite a big pleasure in
putting us down but when you are down I think you need to be a bit honest
and to make clear that the referees are afraid to give decisions for
Chelsea. The result [was] 1-1 there is a huge penalty and, once more, we
don't get. A penalty is a crucial moment in the game with the result 1-1.
"I repeat, if the FA want to punish me, they can punish me, they don't
punish other managers, they punish me - it's not a problem for me. But I
want to repeat because I think my players deserve it, I think our fans
deserve it and I am a Chelsea fan too. I want to say it again: referees are
afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.
"Why? Because if they give there is always a question mark from you, they is
always a question, there is always a critic, we are always punished. We are
punished because we have Diego Costa suspended with images, in other matches
we see the same thing and it doesn't happen, clear penalties are not given
and with us it is one and one and one and one. Even in the Champions League,
in a match we lose 2-1, which is a game there is not three officials but
with five we are not given a penalty in the last minute. This penalty, in
this game today is more than crucial.
"Do you know why? Because my team in this moment, the first negative thing
that happens, the team collapse. Mentally, psychologically the team is
unbelievably down. It looks like good players are bad players and the first
half was a game where we didn't show our quality but we were in control. We
were more than in control.
"But one mistake, lack of concentration, one goal and you arrive at
half-time in normal circumstances you come to the second half and you do
your game. I told the players at half-time 'no panic, we are not losing 4-0,
is no panic, 1-1.'
"The team comes with a good spirit, we have a penalty and the penalty is a
giant penalty and he was afraid to give, like everybody else is afraid to
give. So no penalty and after that the team lost even more confidence and
you know that their second goal is an individual mistake, their third goal
is another individual mistake and the team mentally, they try, they try,
they try but they collapse - they are in such a low moment that they
collapse.
"I can also know what you are thinking, what you are saying in the studio.
People imagine, what is going to happen, what is not going to happen. I want
to make it clear: one, I don't run away. Two, if the club want to sack me,
they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibilities,
from my team and from my conviction.
"To be champion is obviously very, very difficult because the distance is
considerable but I am more than convinced that we finish top four and when
the season is so bad if you finish top four, it is okay. Third, even more
important that the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in
the history of this club. Do you know why? Because if the club sacks me,
they sack the best manager that this club had and secondly, the message is
again the message that bad results, the manager is guilty.
"This is the message that not just these players but other ones before, that
they got during a decade. I think this is a moment for everybody to assume
responsibilities, I assume my responsibilities, I think the players should
assume their responsibilities, they are other people at the club that they
should also assume their responsibilities and to stick together. This is
what I want.
"The players they still have to play until the end of the season with the
gold champion thing on their shirt and I want to work as always. I consider
myself, you know, I have big self-esteem and a big ego - I consider myself
the best. Leaving the worst period of my career, the worst results of my
career as a professional hurts me a lot.
"Enduring that at Chelsea hurts me twice because it hurts me as a
professional and it hurts me because I like this club very, very much and it
was because of this that I came back. So I want to carry one, no doubt, and
I assume my responsibilities but I think it is time for everybody to assume
their responsibilities. Because when you go down to so many individual
mistakes and fear top play, they have their responsibilities and they are
players who are playing really, really bad individually, I cannot come here
and say you and you and you and you, it is not my job. But I think it is
clear.
"I think it's clear we are being punished by too many individual mistakes
and as I was saying sadness brings sadness, bad results they attract bad
results and the first mistake is just the first because after comes another
one. This team needs to finish the first half winning two or 3-0 with the
fears disappearing coming to the second half and play with a free brain,
with a free spirit.
"This is what this team and this is not happening. Again, I repeat, so I
want to make it clear again because I don't want to be offensive, I don't
want to be non-polite, I don't want to put in cause the dignity of people
but I repeat: the referees, they are afraid to give decisions.
"And when you are top you want to see people come down, when people are
down, give us a break and be honest and be loyal with us because the team
deserves that. The penalty is clear and 2-1 is a completely different
story."