By John Cross
Jose Mourinho reopened his war of words with Arsene Wenger on Friday – and then took a pot shot at Manchester City.
The Chelsea boss claims his club get a raw deal from the FA, insisting he would have got a “stadium ban” if he had pushed Wenger, yet the Arsenal manager got off scot-free for doing that to him at Stamford Bridge in October.
Mourinho reckons there are double standards at play against his team , and says there would have been a “big noise” around Chelsea had a referee not given a penalty against them in the way Stoke were denied a spot-kick after Manchester United’s Chris Smalling appeared to handball on New Year’s Day.
Mourinho said: “With Chelsea and with me the reactions are different. Do you think if I push a manager in the technical area that I don’t have a stadium ban? I have a stadium ban.
“So referees are not guilty, they want to do their best but clearly there are measures and there are ways of reacting and clearly with my club and in relation to myself there are different standards, it’s as simple as that and you know that.
“I’ll tell you a good example. Was it a penalty in the game Stoke versus Man United? The Smalling handball? Everybody thinks so. Did you see big noise around it? I didn’t.
“Would you think such a pen against Chelsea would have a reaction in the media and with managers in the same way after that reaction? I don’t think so.
“After that the reaction would be double or treble so obviously a referee needs to feel free, relaxed and with no pressure to do the best they can.”
It is understood the FA are unlikely to act upon Mourinho’s latest comments as he faces a hearing next week after complaining that there was a “campaign” by referees against Chelsea.
But Mourinho is clearly unhappy that title rivals Manchester City – who signed Wilfried Bony for £28million from Chelsea’s opponents Swansea despite being hit with a Uefa Financial Fair Play punishment – are also getting special treatment.
Mourinho added: “They can only play with 11, unless the rules for them are different and they can play with 12. It looks like the rules are different for them in certain aspects, but not this one.” When pressed which rule, Mourinho added: “You know what I mean.”
