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Mourinho, Tottenham Hotspur, has said that when it comes to being disciplined
for touchline conduct, he is treated worse than other Premier League managers.
speaking to the media, Mourinho said this ahead of his side’s Premier League
clash against Liverpool.
replay of the fixture from last month that saw the Reds win 2-1.
hit out at Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after that match, saying he would be
sent off if he acted on the touchline the same way the Liverpool manager did.
Thursday’s match, Mourinho continued to claim that there was a double standard
at stake, insisting that other managers be handled differently than him.
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Mourinho continued to
suggest that there was a double standard in play ahead of Thursday’s game,
insisting that other managers are treated better than him.
“What I can say is
that when I didn’t behave well, I paid the price,” Mourinho said. “And I paid
the price in two ways: one was to see the games on TV in the locker room and
the other was very expensive. Fines and I think for some of the other guys it
didn’t happen. The same thing does not happen The same thing does not happen
with them.
“But, if the referee
and the fourth official are there to do this job, I just hope they will and act
as they should.”
Mourinho is no stranger to courting
controversy, but he said that at 58 he has now mellowed somewhat from his more
fiery days at Port, Chelsea and real Madrid.
“In my case, I felt an
evolution,” said the Portuguese. “I felt a shift in emotional control. I felt a
shift in the more calm I am, the better I can read the game.
“And I’m even happy
that my assistants sometimes turn to the sidelines to communicate and I stay in
a privileged position.
“And I felt like I had
to change my behavior, which I’m really, really happy about. This is my
personal case. I can’t speak for other guys.”
Speaking of Thursday’s
game, Mourinho admitted that Liverpool, who are now winless in five league
games, have been hit hard by Virgil van Dijk’s severe knee injury.
“They have lost a
fundamental player, we can say whatever we want, we can try to hide things, but
some players are special and they are impossible to replace, so even sometimes
the defensive process has to do with the loss of an attacking player, “Mourinho
added. .
“A very stable team
defensively is a team with much better attacking conditions and vice versa.
They lost Van Dijk. It is very, very important to them. “