• Premier League

Chelsea boss Mourinho to end media blackout

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will end his media blackout when he stages a news conference at the club's Cobham training ground on Friday.

Mourinho cancelled his press briefing ahead of last weekend's Premier League match against Manchester City after he was fined £25,000 for comments suggesting a campaign was underway to halt his side's ambitions this season.

Jose Mourinho cancelled his media conference ahead of the Manchester City clash © Getty Images

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The refusal to stage any media briefing that is a requirement of all clubs ahead of Premier League matches was confirmed after Chelsea striker Diego Costa was charged with misconduct following his stamp on Liverpool's Emre Can in the League Cup semi-final last month, which subsequently led to a three-match ban for the striker.

Mourinho then refused to speak to either the broadcast or written media before or after the Manchester City game last Saturday, but he will make an appearance at a press conference on Friday after Chelsea officials emailed media outlets to confirm the appointment.

Questions about Costa's ongoing suspension and his FA punishment are certain to be posed to the Chelsea boss, but Mourinho is unlikely to be willing to get himself into more hot water with the game's authorities.

"If I speak, people will say 'Mourinho again'," said the Chelsea boss when asked to comment on controversial issues following the win against Liverpool. "If I speak, the FA will punish me as they always do, or as they always try."

Mourinho's side head into the weekend's fixtures with a five-point advantage over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings, with their trip to Aston Villa this weekend followed by a home game against Everton next Wednesday.

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