Mourinho blasts 'weak' referee after Chelsea draw at Dynamo Kiev
Jose Mourinho made another veiled criticism of the Football Association following Chelsea's goalless draw at Dynamo Kiev, by describing Slovenian referee Damir Skomina as "weak and naive" for failing to award the visitors a penalty.
Mourinho is appealing against a 50,000 pounds ($77,400) and suspended one-match stadium ban imposed for his criticism of referee Robert Madeley following the 3-1 loss to Southampton on Oct. 3. The Blues boss believes there are inconsistencies in the disciplinary process after Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger escaped censure for calling referee Mike Dean "weak and naive" following the Gunners' loss at Chelsea last month.
And Mourinho used pointedly the same terminology employed by Wenger when discussing the decision of Skomina to ignore first-half penalty appeals from Cesc Fabregas after a challenge by Serhiy Rybalka. Mourinho told BT Sport: "The referee was weak and naive. Big penalty."
Mourinho felt Chelsea had been denied a spot-kick for a second successive Champions League away game, following the loss at Porto in the last round.
"The referee and the goal referee decide not to give (it)," Mourinho added. "Against Porto it was a clear handball, last minute, a decision crucial for the result of the game. Today it was not last minute but it was a clear penalty. I don't know. The referee didn't see it? The referee decided not to give it?"
Mourinho felt Skomina had a good game otherwise and pointed to the example of Craig Joubert's mistake in Scotland's last-gasp Rugby World Cup quarter-final loss to Australia, which World Rugby later ruled was an error.
"I think the referee was very good. I'm serious," Mourinho added. "I think he made one mistake and, for example, in the Rugby World Cup, I think the referee in the Scotland game was very good, but he made one mistake and because of that mistake Scotland is crying."
It was a vastly improved display, even on the win over Aston Villa, but Chelsea stayed third in Champions League Group G behind Porto and Dynamo, who remained unbeaten. Mourinho had targeted four points from the double header with Dynamo - the Stamford Bridge return is on November 4 - and was content with a point after losing at Porto last time out.
Yet Chelsea came close to returning from NSK Olimpiyskyi with more as Eden Hazard and Willian hit the woodwork, while Fabregas was denied the spot-kick.
"For 70, 75 minutes, we had the control, the initiative, the chances," Mourinho added. "We hit the post, we had the penalty. We had everything, but we didn't score. The game in the second half is a little bit of a trap, because we want to win, we feel we can win. But at the same time we cannot lose.
"If we lose this game we have to win at home and then we are just at the limit. Now we are not at the limit. Even the players for the last period of the game, they felt that pressure.
The result is acceptable because it keeps us in a strong position.
"We have the game at home, Dynamo plays against Porto so they have to lose points. We are third, but we are in a stable position."
Hazard was restored to the starting XI, but Mourinho declined to appraise individual performances, merely commenting on the collective, with confidence apparently restored ahead of Saturday's trip to West Ham.
"We are much more solid now. Two matches, two cleansheets. No problems defensively," Mourinho added. "The team was really solid and compact, the midfield really strong. We are recovering that compactness, solidarity, effort, tactical discipline - these qualities that are very important when you are not flying, you are not scoring goals, you are not playing with that confidence and attacking flair."
Dynamo head coach Sergei Rebrov was satisfied with the result.
The former Tottenham and West Ham striker said: "The fact is Chelsea now is in 11th place in the English Premier League doesn't mean it's a weak team. In the first half we had some problems, some mistakes. In the second half we did better, we had several chances to score. I'm pretty happy with the way the boys did today."
