Jose Mourinho slams media

Jose Mourinho has slammed the media for reporting a private conversation in which he made light-hearted comments about Chelsea’s striking options.

Mourinho’s conversation with a Swiss businessman was filmed by French television station Canal Plus with the recording made public on Monday.

“The problem with Chelsea is I lack a striker. He is 32 years old, maybe 35, who knows?” the Portuguese is quoted as saying.


Mourinho faced reporters on Tuesday afternoon and he wasted little time in hitting out at the media for publishing details of his conversation.

“I think you should be embarrassed, as a media professional because from my point of view I don’t think you – not you, but a colleague – (should be) able to record a private conversation, to make it public,” Mourinho said ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash with Galatasaray.

“I think you all should be a bit embarrassed, because it’s a case of the ethics you have in your work.

“From my point of view, is it an unhappy comment? Absolutely. But from the ethical point of view, I think it’s a real disgrace.

“I’m not defending what I’m saying. I’m attacking something that is, I think, fundamental in your professional area and that person showed exactly what he is or what he does not know about the job.

“From my perspective, the comment is not obviously a good one, not one I would do in a serious way, not something I would do in an official way in an interview. First of all, because I don’t make fun. Secondly, because, if there are managers in the world that really defend their players, I am obviously one of them. And third, because Samuel Eto’o is Samuel Eto’o.”

Mourinho worked with Eto’o at Inter Milan and was quick to sign the striker following his return to Chelsea and he insists he has no issue with the player despite his comments.

“He is a four-time Champions League winner. People think three times, but he is four times – one with Real Madrid, two with Barcelona and one with Inter,” Mourinho explained.

“It was with him that I had the best ever season of my career. He’s one of the few player who is working with me in a second different club and a manager never does that when he doesn’t like the player, doesn’t like the person.

“He has no reason to be upset because also he told a few years go that ‘Mourinho is the only manager in the world I would never play for’. After a few years he was playing with me at Inter and now he is playing for me.

“There is no story. I repeat – it was a funny conversation between me and somebody that doesn’t belong to the footballing world. We were laughing, as everybody was saying. I really think that it’s a disgrace that somebody has recorded a private conversation.”