- Title: ISRAEL: MOURINHO SPEAKS ON UEFA CONTROVERSY.
- Date: 28th March 2005
- Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (MARCH 28, 2005) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF LECTURE HALL WITH COACHES AND JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO CHELSEA MANAGER JOSE MOURINHO 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MOURINHO SPEAKING - "If something happens in a football stadiium and I don't see it, and if some of my people arrive and say to me - I saw this, this happened - and the ot
- Embargoed: 12th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL
- Country: Israel
- Reuters ID: LVA423F7M5S1FLKN63ZWMPTM5RPT
- Story Text: Chelsea coach Mourinho explains his coaching style
amid UEFA controversy.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been taking time
off from his regular job in the English Premier League to
help promote Middle East peace efforts and lecture a group
of Israeli and Palestinian soccer coaches in Tel Aviv on
Monday (March 28).
Mourinho outlined his coaching techniques and explained
to the local coaches his football philosophy.
The Portuguese coach faces disciplinary hearings by
both European soccer's controlling body, UEFA, and the
English FA for after recent outbursts and accusations but
he attempted put those problems aside in Tel Aviv as he
watched and played with Israelis and Palestinians.
However, Mourinho hinted that he did not personally
witness Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona's coach, visit the
referee's room during Chelsea's Champions League tie
against Barcelona, suggesting that he was told of the visit
by two members of his staff.
"If something happens in a football stadiium and I
don't see it, and if some of my people arrive and say to me
- I saw this, this happened - and the other one comes and
says - I saw the same - I say it's true because I cannot
work without loyalty. I have to believe my people."
Uefa charged Chelsea, Mourinho, assistant manager Steve
Clarke and security official Les Miles with bringing the
game into disrepute earlier in March.
Mourinho was in Israel at the invitation of Israeli
Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres's peace organisation
which asked him to lend his support to a coaching programme
for Israeli and Palestinian children.
Peres thanked Mourinho for finding the time to come to
Israel but the Portuguese coach said the experience of
seeing the children play together was humbling.
On Saturday, Mourinho watched at a Tel Aviv's Winter
Stadium as groups of young children from the Peres Centre
for Peace project carried out training drills and he posed
for photos alongside them.
More than 800 Israeli and Palestinian children from 15
communities in the region are currently participating in
the programme known as the "Twinned Peace Soccer Schools"
project.
Mourinho promised that after his soccer coaching days
end he would devote himself to Peres's cause.
Speaking at his final news conference in Israel on
Monday, Mourinho also said that he wants to coach Portugal
before retiring. He said he would not want the England job,
but coaching his own country was part of his ambitions.
"My idea is to work for 13 (more) years, so... if I can
spend four of them with the Portuguese national team, I
have nine years in English soccer," he said.
"The England job is not for me.
"First of all the team is in good hands and secondly
when Sven decides to go or when the English FA decide that
it's time for Sven to go I believe that it is a job for an
Englishman," Mourinho said, referring to England coach
Sven-Goran Eriksson.
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