Mourinho hints that Van Persie deserved a ban
CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho flirted with further sanctions yesterday when he appeared to suggest that his players receive unfavourable treatment from football’s authorities.
Mourinho questioned why an unnamed Premier League player had escaped a ban for elbowing an opponent when Blues top scorer Diego Costa remains suspended, having been convicted retrospectively of violent conduct.
He is believed to have been referring to Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, who conceded only a free-kick when his flailing arm struck West Ham’s James Tomkins on Sunday.
“I need a little bit more time to understand why some people are punished, others aren’t,” he said. “The same people that suspended my player didn’t want to suspend a player this weekend. I know that if it was one of mine… I know.”
Mourinho has already been fined £25,000 this season for alleging a “campaign” against the Premier League leaders, who host Everton tonight. Football Association rules do not permit retrospective review of an incident if the referee saw and dealt with it at the time.