Mourinho faces assault claims
Tuesday December 15 2009
JOSE Mourinho's stormy relationship with the Italian press has reached a new low with the former Chelsea manager being accused of physically and verbally abusing a journalist after Internazionale's draw away to Atalanta at the weekend.
Mourinho, who has made no secret of wanting to return to manage a Premier League club in the future, must now wait to see if Internazionale president Massimo Moratti or the Italian Football Federation decides to heed calls to punish him.
Andrea Ramazzotti of Rome-based paper 'Corriere dello Sport' was allegedly pushed and insulted by Mourinho when he approached the Inter team bus after Sunday's game.
permission
Ramazzotti had been given permission by press officers from both home club Atlanta and Inter to approach the bus, on behalf of the written press at the game, and listen to Inter players giving interviews to the club's own TV channel.
Journalists at the scene claim Mourinho confronted him using derogatory language asking what he thought he was doing in an area where no press representatives were allowed. They say he refused to accept the journalist's claim that he had been given permission and pushing ensued before the pair were separated.
The Italian Sport Union of Journalists (USSI) condemned Mourinho's alleged actions, urging Inter president Moratti and the country's governing sporting bodies to investigate. A statement issued by them made reference to Mourinho's "ill-mannered and disrespectful tone" towards journalists prior to Inter's Champions League game with Rubin Karzan last week and asked Moratti to "intervene energetically so that a member of his club (Mourinho) adapts to the great tradition of civility of the club and of the Moratti family".
"I would rather not say anything," said Inter Milan president Moratti. "I do not have all the evidence in front of me to make a judgement. I will talk with the Italian Sports press and I will talk to the head of the union to find out what he means by 'energetic action'."
The USSI also want the Italian Football Federation to make a stand urging it "to examine the behaviour of Mourinho for eventual sanctions".
Tension had built up between the Italian sports press and Mourinho in the days leading up to Inter's match against Atalanta. The Portuguese coach had been unhappy about the tone of questioning before Inter's Champions League win over Rubin Kazan suggesting he could be fired if they failed to qualify.
- Pete Jensen
Irish Independent
