UEFA hands Mourinho five-match ban

Mourinho had been hoping to become the first man ever to coach three teams to the European Cup [GALLO/GETTY]

Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid’s coach, will boycott the club’s news conferences until UEFA informs him why he has been banned for five matches, Aitor Karanka, his assistant, has revealed.

UEFA handed the European ban to Mourinho after he made allegations of favouritism towards bitter rivals and Champions League conquerors Barcelona.

Mourinho served one match of the ban in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg at Camp Nou, which cemented Real’s exit 3-1 on aggregate, while another of the five games is suspended for three years.

UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body found on Friday that a string of comments from Mourinho alleging that Barcelona benefited from decisions in their favour at their rivals’ expense had constituted “inappropriate statements”.

Mourinho, who had been hoping to become the first man ever to coach three teams to the European Cup after previous successes with FC Porto and Inter Milan, was also fined $72,500.

The Portuguese coach had unleashed a tirade against Barcelona, where he started out as a translator to former coach Bobby Robson 14 years ago, following the first leg of the semi-final on April 27. 

“I don’t know if it’s the UNICEF [Barca’s sponsor] publicity or the friendship of [Spanish football federation chief Angel] Villar at UEFA, where he is vice-president,” Mourinho said after the match.

“I don’t know if it’s because they are so nice, but they have got great power. The rest of us have no chance.

“They are a great team, so congratulations to them, but they have this power. Pepe sent off and me too. I don’t know why.”

He also directed barbs at Barcelona counterpart Pep Guardiola, saying: “I would be embarrassed to win the Champions League like this.”

Karanka said Mourinho “would defend himself until the end” and announced that the Real Madrid coach would make no further media appearances until European football’s governing body justified the sanction against him.

“UEFA is the one imposing the punishment and as of today they have not said the reason why the coach was punished,” Karanka told a post-training session news conference.

“The idea is that until it is specified or [UEFA] comes out with a more concrete reason, he will not appear.”

Pinto ban

Real Madrid defender Pepe, who was red-carded in the first leg, received a one-match ban but UEFA said it would consider this already served as he did not feature in the return leg.

Real also received a $29,000 fine for poor conduct by their supporters.

Barcelona reserve goalkeeper Jose Pinto, red-carded in a half-time melee in the first leg, received a three-match ban.

It means he cannot take part in the Champions League final on 28 May against Manchester United, nor the first UEFA club competition match that Barcelona play next season.

Both clubs may appeal their punishments within three days and Real Madrid said they would do so, describing their punishment as heavy-handed and “defective” in that it did not afford Mourinho a chance to defend his behaviour.

Real added that “the exact statements for which the disciplinary case was opened and for which he has been punished are still unknown”.