• Premier League

I'd receive stadium ban for shoving Wenger, says Mourinho

Fourth Official Jonathan Moss separates Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge earlier this month © Getty Images

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has claimed he would have been given a stadium ban if he had shoved Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in their heated touchline confrontation at Stamford Bridge earlier this month.

Instead, it was Wenger who was the aggressor-in-chief in a confrontation that he later apologised for, with Mourinho previously stating no further action needed to be taken against the Frenchman. Mourinho refused to shake hands with Wenger at the end of the game.

Yet when pressed on the incident at the club's Cobham training headquarters, Mourinho offered up what may be a more honest view of the incident that drew widespread reaction from around the football world.

"I gave you my reaction after the match, saying nothing had happened," Mourinho said. "The reaction from everyone else was saying nothing had happened.

"Am I surprised he wasn't punished? I'm not surprised. I'm not surprised. Charged? Charged? If it was me, it would have been a stadium ban." Mourinho went on to offer some additional less than complimentary words towards the

The tussle with Wenger is not Mourinho's only sideline dust-up this season. Aston Villa's management duo of Paul Lambert and assistant Roy Keane have suggested the Chelsea manager's move to shake their hands before their game at Stamford Bridge had finished last month was not in the spirit of the game.

Keane stated at his book launch in Dublin last week that Mourinho was "a disgrace" and displayed his arrogance with his early handshake gesture, but the Chelsea manager was less than sympathetic to those views.

"I don't know if he [Keane] really feels it, or if he wants to sell books and needs my help for that. I don't know," Mourinho said. "I know my nature, I know my intentions."

He then added sarcastically: "From people like him and his boss, I think I have a lot to learn about how to behave and I appreciate the comment."

Asked if he would do it again, Mourinho answered "yes", before saying "no" when asked if he could understand why someone would be upset by his actions.

He refused to comment when asked to respond over suggestions the action was arrogant.

Chelsea have a number of fitness concerns ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park. Diego Costa, Ramires (groin), Didier Drogba (ankle), Andre Schurrle (illness) and John Obi Mikel (undisclosed) will be assessed prior to the match.

Costa's fragile hamstrings have been the subject of much debate, but it is unclear what the latest issue is.

The £32 million signing from Atletico Madrid, who has scored nine goals in seven Premier League games, reported to Chelsea's Surrey training base on Monday morning despite having been told to take two days off and return to training on Wednesday afternoon.

Asked if Costa was reporting for treatment, Mourinho said: "No comments".

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