José Mourinho vs The FA - An Escalating Rivalry
José Mourinho – The Special One, or in his seemingly ongoing battle with the F.A could he be seen as The Targeted One. Mourinho divides opinion like no other manager in the Premier League. So is he someone who is rightly punished for his frequent outbursts when speaking with the media, or is he wrongfully targeted by the F.A because of his reputation?
Mourinho was this week handed down a £50,000 fine and a suspended one match stadium ban for his post-match outburst again Southampton almost two weeks ago. After not being awarded a contentious penalty in the 3-1 loss at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho said afterwards “He was afraid to give it like everyone else is afraid to give it. Why? Because there is always a question mark from you [the media] and always a critic so we are always punished.” He later added “If the Football Association wants to punish me they can. They don’t punish other managers.”
After being handed this punishment on Wednesday, José today stated his intention to appeal the fine. He also called the punishment “a disgrace”. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, this latest fine is not going to even come close to denting Mourinho’s significant annual salary which is estimated to exceed £13.2 million.
Now, Mourinho has a recent history of courting F.A charges since re-joining Chelsea in 2013. In just over two seasons since returning to Chelsea, Mourinho has racked up almost £100,000 in F.A. fines. Statistics such as this demonstrate why Mourinho is known within football almost as much for his talking than he is for his achievements.
For now, it appears not to be affecting him at all, however he has long said of his ambition to one day manage the England national side. That decision currently rests with the F.A. and I cannot see that changing any time soon. Should the rivalry between the two continue, there is only the slimmest of chances that he would ever be chosen as England manager, despite his unquestionable achievements over the years.
The significance of this latest punishment is put into context when you look at some other major fines handed down by the F.A. In December 2011, they fined Liverpool’s Luis Suarez £40,000 for racially abusing defender Patrice Evra. Eight months later, Rio Ferdinand was fined £45,000 for Twitter comments he made referring to Ashley Cole and the John Terry racism case. These similar fines show the severity of the latest one given to Mourinho, although of course in his case the fines have built up with every post-match incident. This explains his fine, although could it be argued the F.A. are too harsh on Jose?
It can be argued that some of his comments did not warrant a F.A. charge. An example would be his wordsafter Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villa in March last season. When asked about his thoughts on a controversial late decision, he said at the time “Me? I don’t comment. If I comment I bring the game into disrepute, I will be accused for sure, and I’m not going to give any chance to be charged with bringing the game into disrepute. So no words.” That minor outburst cost him £8000 and a warning from the F.A. Whilst his comments are obviously controversial, some may suggest they are not derogatory towards the match officials, with a small jab at the F.A. likely the cause of the fine.
Should this antagonistic relationship continue between Jose Mourinho and the F.A. the fines and suspensions will only snowball, thus increasing the likelihood of Mourinho missing out on a dream of his to manage England in his career.
It is highly unlikely that Mourinho will change, especially with the aura he’s built around himself as ‘The Chosen One’, whilst the F.A. are also not going to allow him to go unpunished for his frequent outbursts. Therefore an increase in the tension between the two parties is the most likely option. This could damage both sides and leave both of them guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute. What a shame that would be and an incredibly unfortunate outcome for both parties concerned.
By Jordan Wilkins
Featured Image: All rights reserved by In Mou We Trust
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