Mourinho fails to get stadium ban overturned

Only an appeal would have allowed Mourinho to enter the Britannia Stadium, but he has accepted the sanction.

The FA has indicated it has no plans to police the Chelsea manager who, it is alleged, ignored a Uefa stadium ban in April 2005 and was smuggled into the Munich Olympic Stadium for a Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich in a kit skip.

The Portuguese was sent to the stands after an argument with referee Jon Moss at half-time in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham United.

“Maybe”, said Mourinho, gesturing to his phone, which rang during Friday’s media conference. The match is tomorrow.

When asked whether he considered a further appeal of his latest FA punishment he stated: “No. I knew the outcome of the appeal, so I chose to give up”.

He will travel on the coach with the squad, but will have to make alternative arrangements for keeping in touch with his side’s progress as they seek a welcome three points. “But obviously, when you are the match-winner, and with a really special shot, I think it’s fair… the boy is magnificent”.

“There is no temptation [to hide in a laundry basket]”.

“I have to adapt to it. I’m sad about it. But that’s what I have”.

“It is clear from both the letter from Mr Mourinho and his submissions that he regrets the incident and to his credit he made an early admission”, the written reasons said.

“I will be in charge. Every responsibility is my responsibility”, he added. My staff are completely free of that extra pressure. I choose the team.

“If I can not contact with the game maybe I don’t even watch the game”. It is the only way. The forward has been Chelsea’s best performing player in a hard season, and is top scorer with five goals – four of those coming from set-pieces. But we will have to play well because they are strong at home.

“Anything that ups the level of performance you’re at liberty to use (as motivation) and that’s what we’ll try to do”.

“We will see if it is a negative or a positive for them”. At half time winning 4-0, at half time losing 4-0. Injuries or red cards of the goalkeeper, the right-back, the central defender, the left-back, the striker, the winger.

Despite the continued poor form, the Blues supporters admirably rallied around both the players and Mourinho as they egged their club on to a crucial Champions League win midweek.