Jose Mourinho interview after Barcelona match Champions League Video

"Why do they try to kill a tie that could end 0-0 after three hours?"

Jose Mourinho was visibly angy after his team's defeat against Barcelona.

"Why does this happen? Barcelona are a fantastic team. I don't understand why Pepe was sent off. It paved the way for Barcelona to finish the tie."

"I said nothing to the referee. I just laughed and applauded his decision without saying anything. I'd rather say no more because if I tell him and UEFA what I really think my career would end here and now. Since I cannot say it, I'll ask a question: Why? Why Ovrebo? Why Bussaca? We are talking about an absolutely fantastic football team. Why couldn't Chelsea reach the final two years ago? It was a miracle that Inter reached the final last year. Why kill a tie that could end 0-0 after three hours? I don't understand why."

Jose Mourinho interview after Barcelona match Champions League

"Why do they try to kill a tie that could end 0-0 after three hours?"

Jose Mourinho was visibly angy after his team's defeat against Barcelona.

"Why does this happen? Barcelona are a fantastic team. I don't understand why Pepe was sent off. It paved the way for Barcelona to finish the tie."

"I said nothing to the referee. I just laughed and applauded his decision without saying anything. I'd rather say no more because if I tell him and UEFA what I really think my career would end here and now. Since I cannot say it, I'll ask a question: Why? Why Ovrebo? Why Bussaca? We are talking about an absolutely fantastic football team. Why couldn't Chelsea reach the final two years ago? It was a miracle that Inter reached the final last year. Why kill a tie that could end 0-0 after three hours? I don't understand why."

"If it's already difficult to make a comeback on purely sporting grounds, it is absolutely impossible when our opponent is helped in this manner. It seems they must reach the final. I don't understand why such a fantastic team needs this. Football is a sport in which the same rules apply to all; then the best team wins. We will showcase pride and respect for our world of football in Barcelona. We will travel without Pepe, who did nothing wrong. We will travel without Ramos, who did nothing wrong. The coach won't even be able to sit on the bench and the aggregate score is against us. The system will kill us once more if we happen to score a goal and open up the tie."

"Our scheme had different stages for different moments in the game. We had to play together and then use a centre forward. Then I would use a number '10' behind the two forwards. It is the scheme for a 0-0 game, trying to capitalise on the frustration of our opponent. But the referee didn't let us unfold our plan. Barcelona's power should have been simply of a football nature. They have that power. Why use more?

"It disgusts me to live in this world," Mourinho said.

"Every semi-final, the same thing always happens," Mourinho said, alleging a conspiracy between Barcelona and UEFA because the Catalans had been awarded a favourable refereeing decision for the third consecutive UEFA Champions League semi-final.

"Why?



"I'll live my whole life with this question but I hope one day to get the answer.

"Why could Chelsea not get to the final two years ago? Last year to get to the final with Inter was a miracle. Why again in this game?"

"I don't know if it's publicity for (sponsor) UNICEF or (FIFA and UEFA head of referees committee Angel) Villar's influence in UEFA," Mourinho said.

"They have the power and no one else has a chance.''

Mourinho was scathing of Barcelona's accomplishments, which he said were tainted.

"Inside (the Catalans) are laughing and enjoying this thinking we're going to (the final at) Wembley," he said.

"But to win this way must leave a bad taste.

"I've won two Champions Leagues and I won them both on the field and they were with two clubs.

"We won with work, effort, sweat, fight and with a lot of work.

"Josep Guardiola is a fantastic coach - I repeat he is a fantastic coach - but he won the Champions with the scandal at Stamford Bridge.

"And if he wins again then it will be affected by today."

See the Whole Press Conference (Video)

Jose Mourinho press conference before Champions League El Clasico

 "We played great at the Bernabeu and in the Copa final, but we are up against a top-class coach and team"

Heading into the first leg of Wednesday's Champions League semifinal, Jose Mourinho discussed matters including the team's morale, a possible outcome at the Bernabeu and the role of the referee.

"It will be an evenly fought tie. There are no favorites. We played great at the Bernabeu and in the Copa final, but we are up against a top-class coach and team. We know that each competition is different and that each match has its own history. We always look for balance and find it. The team is relaxed ahead of the Champions League semifinal, but we have to put forth our maximum effort and avoid being influenced by what has already taken place."

"I don't know how Barcelona are morale-wise. Ours is the same has we not won the Copa final. Winning the Copa was great, but we began preparing for Valencia once the final was over and subsequently for this match. Both teams are just as excited and last year Barcelona's obsession stemmed from the fact that they could win the Champions League in the Bernabeu. Not this time. The final is at Wembley, where they already won a Champions League."

"There are no favorites for this tie. The two teams know each other well and both have players that have played in important matches and who know how to produce victories. Looking at the Shalke-Manchester semifinal and I don't see a favorite either."

"You never head to the Camp Nou with a secure lead. We beat Tottenham 4-0 and then had difficulty against Tottenham, which is a very good team but not Barcelona. Sometimes tendecies are broken, but it would be normal for everything to be up in the air for the return leg. A draw would be bad if we play better and have scoring chances. If it's the opponent that plays better, I would be happy going there."

"What is more imporant than who is refereeing is that we start a new cycle because there have been two groups of managers up until now: a quiet one who doesn't talk about referees and a louder one, such as myself, that criticized the referees when they make significant mistakes. We have entered a new era following the statements made by Guardiola and there is now a third group. He is the only one in it as he criticizes the right calls made by referees. I had never seen anything like it before. We will see if his supporters follow him into the group."

"I am a natural motivator. First I have to motivate myself and then I motivate my players. Before the Cup final all I told them was a statement made by Einstein: "There is a driving force more powerful than steam, electricity and atomic energy... the will." Not long ago I was speaking to a television channel and I told them that I am the same coach that lost 5-0 against Barcelona two months ago. I am a hard worker and I put in a lot of hours to help those around me. But I was the coach of this team two months ago, which is why I don't accept the notion that I have a magic potion."

Jose Mourinho press conference before Valencia match

Jose Mourinho : "I feel better working for Real Madrid day by day"

Mourinho: "We have our limitations due to injuries and fatigue, but we will give Valencia all we have got"

Jose Mourinho was upfront about his future and also discussed Saturday's match during Friday's press conference.

"I am happy that our work is paying off and that people want to take the same direction that I want to take. I am always calm and I do not want to lose ambition. We are not just here for one year, but rather a lot more time. I feel better working for Real Madrid each day that goes by. Any news coming out of Italy is false and I want to continue working peacefully. We will be here this coming preseason to continue working. My teams are always better in the second season and I will work hard to ensure it happens here. I am certain that Real Madrid will be better in the second season."

"Having an injured player is always bad news for a team and a coach. We are upset that Khedira is hurt, but to say that he is done for the season is absurd. He cannot play tomorrow and I can all but guarantee he won't play on Wednesday either. He will miss both matches, but we hope he can return as quickly as possible."

"Lass missed Wednesday's match and Granero played 20 good minutes. Granero always responds well. We are upset that we don't have Khedira, but that is how our team is built and we will have an answer for his absence."

"Barcelona is a fantastic team that has won a lot, but they are not the champions of Europe. They are champions of Spain and they have a good chance to repeat. Just because they lost doesn't mean they are bad. I am stable in both good times and bad and I know we need to remain calm. We won an historic Cup against a very worthy adversary. What I will remember most, though, is our fantastic road to the title because we beat complicated teams like one of this season's greats, Levante; the runner-up, Atletico; and the champion, Sevilla. I will also remember the warm embrace from the president."

Best Jose Mourinho Quotes

FC Barcelona (assistant manager)

• "Luis Fernández has made this shock [defeat of Barcelona] a war of dogs. I only talk about men, not of rude children." [first contact with the press, after Fernández made fun of Guardiola following his team defeating Barcelona]

FC Porto

• "The only thing that I want to say is that we are the best ones and in normal conditions we are more than the best ones. In normal conditions we will be champions. In abnormal conditions we also will be champions."

Chelsea FC

• "Please don’t call me arrogant, but I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one."
• "If I wanted to have an easy job I would have stayed at Porto. Beautiful blue chair, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me."
• "For me, pressure is bird flu. I'm feeling a lot of pressure with the problem in Scotland. It's not fun and I'm more scared of it than football."
• "I told Mr Ferguson that United didn't deserve to leave Stamford Bridge with nothing." [After beating them 1-0]
• "If they made a film of my life, I think they should get George Clooney to play me. He's a fantastic actor and my wife thinks he would be ideal."
• "I think he is one of these people who is a voyeur. He likes to watch other people. There are some guys who, when they are at home, have a big telescope to see what happens in other families. He speaks, speaks, speaks about Chelsea." [about Arsene Wenger]
• "I would say if all the names you wrote in the last few days are correct we would have a 50-player squad and I hate to work with big squads."
• "It will be the strongest Champions League ever. Every shark will be there."
• "As we say in Portugal, they brought the bus and they left the bus in front of the goal."
• "It's like having a blanket that is too small for the bed. You pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm and your feet stick out. I cannot buy a bigger blanket because the supermarket is closed. But the blanket is made of cashmere!" [During a Chelsea injury crisis]."
• "Young players are a little bit like melons. Only when you open and taste the melon are you 100% sure that the melon is good."
• "The style of how we play is very important. But it is omelettes and eggs. No eggs - no omelettes! It depends on the quality of the eggs. In the supermarket you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem."
• "Sometimes you see beautiful people with no brains. Sometimes you have ugly people who are intelligent, like scientists. Our pitch is a bit like that. From the top it's a disgrace but the ball rolls at normal speed."
• "Maybe the guy drank red wine or beer with breakfast instead of milk."[After a Sheffield United fan threw a bottle at Frank Lampard]
• "A player from Man City showed half of his ass for two seconds and it was a big nightmare. But this is a real nightmare."[Comparing Petr Cech's nasty injury with Joey Barton's bottom-baring antics.]
• "My wife is in Portugal with the dog. The dog is with my wife so the city of London is safe, the big threat is away."[After his Yorkshire Terrier had issues with customs.]
• "A brilliant reaction. I hate it when players just walk off."[Following Arjen Robben's sharp exit down the tunnel after being substituted against Aston Villa.]
• "As you know Gallas had an unbelievable holiday. I hope he enjoyed it very much in Guadeloupe, which I think is a fantastic place to be on holiday, so he wanted to stay there for a long time."[On William Gallas missing the first team's trip to the United States because he was on holiday.]
• "Look at my haircut. I am ready for the war."
• "I did it because I want to push my son to do the same. I also did it because I want to push the young players on my team to have a proper haircut, not the Rastafarian or the others they have."
• "When I saw Rijkaard entering the referee's dressing room I couldn't believe it. When Drogba was sent off I didn't get surprised."
• "During the afternoon it rained only in this stadium - our kitman saw it. There must be a micro-climate here. The pitch was like a swimming pool."

FC Internazionale Milano

• "Zeru tituli"
• "I studied Italian five hours a day for many months to ensure I could communicate with the players, media and fans. [Claudio] Ranieri had been in England for five years and still struggled to say ‘good morning’ and ‘good afternoon.'"
• “As for Lo Monaco I do not know who he is. With the name Monaco I have heard of Bayern Monaco (Munich) and the Monaco GP, the Tibetan Monaco (Monk), and the Principality of Monaco. I have never heard of any others.” [after Catania president Pietro Lo Monaco claimed he wanted to 'smack [Mourinho] in the mouth' following Inter's November 2008 Serie A win in Sicily.]

Real Madrid CF

• "I am Jose Mourinho and I don't change. I arrive with all my qualities and my defects."
• "If I am hated at Barcelona, it is their problem but not mine. Fear is not a word in my football dictionary."
• "I am prepared. The more pressure there is, the stronger I am. In Portugal, we say the bigger the ship, the stronger the storm. Fortunately for me, I have always been in big ships. FC Porto was a very big ship in Portugal, Chelsea was also a big ship in England and Inter was a great ship in Italy. Now I'm at Real Madrid, which is considered the biggest ship on the planet."