Mourinho blasts Barca: No fair play

(GSM) – Internazionale boss Jose Mourinho hit out at Barcelona after their UEFA Champions League semi-final clash. The Portuguese manager blasted Barcelona’s “lack of fair play, on or off the pitch” and called on fans to greet the “heroic” team at the airport.

“Leo Messi is Messi. An incredible talent, from another galaxy, but like all the others he didn’t play to his strengths. That should be quality and fair play, but I saw none of it on or off the pitch,” Mourinho told RAI.

“At 4am we couldn’t sleep, as there were fireworks outside the hotel door. We called the police at 11pm and they arrived at 3.30am.

“A player like Samuel Eto’o who comes back here every few days was harassed by police today when told he had to pay taxes not paid in 2005.”

Mourinho was also furious at the red card when Sergio Busquets made the most of a fingertip touch from Thiago Motta after just 28 minutes.

“I can make a guarantee, that next year I’ll be back. I always seem to end up being paired with Barcelona and every time something happens.

“Thiago Motta’s card was the same as that for Didier Drogba. Unfortunately Motta lost his cool for a second. I said nothing to him at half-time. I spoke to the rest of the team to explain how they should play and adapt.

“I do not want to judge the referee. I said beforehand that when the players want to help the referee, his job is easy, but tonight some people tried to make life difficult for him.”

Inter lost yesterday’s match, but finally reached their first European Cup Final since 1972 thanks to the 3-1 first leg result.

“It was a team of heroes, where everyone left their blood on that pitch. I am proud of everyone, those who played and didn’t, of the fans who suffered with us here and at home.

“Barcelona did their celebrating beforehand, created some controversy and did some incredible things over the past 24 hours. Now I ask the fans to welcome us at the airport, even if it’s tough and they have to work tomorrow. They should arrive at the airport to welcome these spectacular players, as they’ve earned it.

“I can only imagine how they’re enjoying it, as they know how difficult this was. It’s hard against Barca with 11 men, but with 10 it’s extraordinary.

“This is the greatest defeat of my life! But my team deserved to draw 0-0 really. Julio Cesar made it seem as if we were playing with 11 men.”

At the final whistle Mourinho ran across the pitch with his hand raised to the stands, but was held back by Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes.

“I felt an incredible joy. I have already won the Champions League, but I can say tonight felt better than that. Porto won the Final 3-0 and I knew half an hour from the end that we had already won, whereas here it was right to the end.

“Valdes, like the others, expected to win this tie. They had a big surprise at San Siro and when we saw the mess they made with the T-shirts and the people making noise, it became clear they were afraid.

“In the way we were set out to begin with and all 11 players, we could’ve won here. Goran Pandev’s injury forced us to change and Motta’s red card again, it was an incredible game.”

The final at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid will be between Inter and Bayern München.

“Obviously when you reach the Final, you want to win it. The fact we faced Barcelona four times on the way and also Chelsea, it means a lot. I reiterate that Inter are now a European force, so if they don’t win it this time, they will the next year or the one after.

“I thought my empathy with the Chelsea fans was impossible to find elsewhere, but I have found even more with Inter.

“It was impossible to see where our fans were in this huge stadium, but at the 85th minute I could hear them and knew they were up there. They suffered with us and we had to thank them.”