THERE'SNO SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR SPECIAL ONE

Some might have laughed off Jose Mourinho’s sarcasm-filled post-match press conference as “classic Jose”, but many in the UK press corps saw it as the Chelsea manger going a step too far.

Mourinho didn’t accept questions following his side’s shock loss to bottom-placed Sunderland on the weekend, instead opting to make a statement that included congratulating referee Mike Dean for his “unbelievable” performance, and applauding referees’ performance boss Mike Riley for the “fantastic” job he’s done this season.

The main reason for Mourinho’s anger was the late penalty awarded to Sunderland for a foul on striker Jozi Altidore, but former EPL referee Graham Poll used his column in the Daily Mail to lambaste the Chelsea manager for his outburst.

“It was a penalty,” Poll wrote. “There is no conspiracy and Jose Mourinho is finally being seen for what he is — an excellent coach but a graceless and immature man who must learn how to lose.”

Ouch.

He followed that up with this comment about Mourinho’s attempt at sarcasm.

“Rising above such puerile antics is the best way to deal with them, so just let him stew.”

Fellow Daily Mail columnist Neil Ashton struck a similar note as he took aim at Mourinho’s questionable tactics, and suggested ‘The Special One’ might meet his match when Chelsea takes on Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this week.
“Diego Simeone will know, as if he didn’t already, that Jose Mourinho and his cronies on the bench have never been able to lose with class or dignity. It’s time for them to grow up instead of blowing up.
“It is in the Vicente Calderon, where 54,000 Los Indios will assemble for the first leg, that Mourinho will be reacquainted with Atletico assistant manager German Burgos.
They have history and it is said that Burgos once threatened Mourinho when he was at Real Madrid by snorting: ‘I’m not Tito (Vilanova, then Barcelona coach), I’ll rip your head off.’”