• Champions League

Mourinho keeps team-talks short to avoid UEFA trouble

ESPN staff
October 20, 2014
Jose Mourinho saw his Chelsea side defeat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park on Saturday © Getty Images
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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has revealed that he keeps his half-time team talks short during Champions League matches to avoid getting into trouble with UEFA.

Mourinho was handed a five-match ban and fined almost £40,000 while in charge of Real Madrid for his behaviour during and after his club's ill-tempered Champions League semi-final against Barcelona three years ago.

The last two games of that ban were suspended following an appeal, and Mourinho now takes great care to ensure he does not give European football's governing body any reason to reactivate it.

"In European competitions, I get scalded," he is reported to have said by the Sun. "Now they've invented another one: In the case of a team returning late after half-time, the coach gets a game's suspension.

"In my case, it's one more thing, because I've got games of punishment outstanding.

"That's why with me, in UEFA games at half-time, there are five minutes of conversation and everyone is out. We can't risk it."

Chelsea currently top Champions League Group G with four points from two games, and will next host Slovenian side Maribor at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.

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