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Watch Mourinho not talk about the giant refereeing elephant in the interview room

I really don't think Jose is being as sly as he thinks or pretends to think that he is. As much as he doesn't want to talk about the decisions of Chris Foy, even the most obtuse observer should be able to come away from watching that video with absolutely no doubt as to what Jose thinks of the referee's performance.

"...I prefer not to comment because I don't want to bring the game into disrepute and I don't want to be accused. I prefer to do what we have to do in football. In football, we have just to let it go and not to comment because if you comment, you are in trouble, and I don't want to be."

"I prefer not to comment because if you want to speak about big decisions, you don't just speak about the red cards. If I speak I'm in big trouble, and I don't want to be in big trouble, and if I speak I'm accused of bringing the game into disrepute."

"The referees do what they do, they do and they go home, they do and they don't go to the press, they refuse even to exchange a couple of words when one person, like me who has been in football for so long, asks politely, 'Can you speak with me for five seconds?' and it's 'No, I don't speak with you for five seconds'."

"I have to keep with my position because compared to the referee my position in the game is nothing, and I have to go home and close my mouth."

-Jose Mourinho; source: Sky Sports

I'd guess that if the FA want to, they could easily fine or even suspend him for bringing the game into disrepute. The rules are convoluted enough, the disciplinary process inconsistent enough, and the FA incompetent enough that really anything is possible. Let's not forget that, technically, José was also sent off*, which won't reflect well on him in any potential case.

* The sending off was supposedly for Jose asking for an explanation as to why Ramires was sent off; Mourinho later tried to talk to Foy again in the tunnel ("for five seconds") and the referee simply refused. Hurray for accountability.

But perhaps being sly isn't the goal. Perhaps it's just another episode of Jose stepping into the spotlight and drawing all the attention onto himself rather than the performance of his players. A performance that was lacking in more ways than one. A performance that must not be repeated on Tuesday night, by which point all the frustrations (yes, you, too, Ramires) and all the attacking dull edges must be left off the pitch.

In any case, as it's usually the case with Jose Mourinho, it's quality theater. The passion and the barely controlled anger clearly on display should warm the heart of all Chelsea fans. One of us, right? And if we don't get to have any future episode of Us vs. World arbitrated by Chris Foy ever again, well, let's consider that a giant, elephant-sized bonus.

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