José Mourinho could face a charge for misconduct from the Football Association after he was unable to contain his fury about Cesc Fàbregas’s booking for diving in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Southampton, labelling Anthony Taylor’s failure to award his side a penalty a scandal and saying the referee should be ashamed about his decision.
Mourinho, whose mood was likely to have been improved by Manchester City’s failure to close the gap at the top of the table to a point after they drew 2-2 at home with Burnley, went on to add that his team are being unfairly targeted because a campaign is being waged against them after Fàbregas became the fifth Chelsea player in the past month to become embroiled in a diving controversy. Fàbregas appeared to be caught by Matt Targett in the Southampton area in the second half but the referee decided otherwise.
“In other countries where I worked, tomorrow in the sports papers it would be front-page scandal because it is a scandal,” Mourinho said. “I think it is a scandal because it is not a small penalty – it is a penalty like Big Ben. In this country – and I am happy with that, more than happy with that – we will just say that it was a big mistake with a big influence in the result. I will go to the referee and wish him a good year and tell him he will be ashamed.”
Mourinho believes that his players are suffering the consequences of criticism from outside the club, pointing to Diego Costa’s booking for a dive against Burnley in August. Steve Bruce accused Gary Cahill of diving in Chelsea’s win over Hull City a fortnight ago, a game in which Costa and Willian were booked for simulation, while Sam Allardyce was equally critical of Branislav Ivanovic after his tumble against West Ham United on Boxing Day.
“I think it is clearly the result of something that looks like a campaign,” Mourinho said. “In the first match, Diego got a yellow card when it should have been a penalty and a red card at Burnley. A few months later, we lose two points in a match where the penalty is there and Fàbregas gets a yellow card.
“Against West Ham, [Enner] Valencia made a very bad dive at the end of the game and Sam is talking about Ivanovic. What is this? What? Why? Which intention? And today you come here, crucial decision. One of these matches between two good teams, difficult match, crucial decisions and the ref makes a wrong decision.”
Mourinho said that he does not know who was responsible for the apparent campaign but questioned why there is not as much scrutiny when his players are on the end of bad tackles or when their rivals receive favourable decisions.
“It’s not against me because I am not on the pitch, but against Chelsea,” Mourinho said. “In the last couple of weeks, do you want me to tell you the two most important things that happened in my matches? Filipe Luís and Eden Hazard could have broken legs.
“They could be in hospital now with broken legs and you are speaking now about Gary Cahill against Hull City when the result was 2-0 and you are speaking about West Ham when the result was 2-0 and should be 5-0.
“But you also forget other things. Man City v Crystal Palace, a goal is not offside, you don’t speak a lot about it. Man United v Newcastle, 0-0, penalty and a red card for Mata – no penalty. So you don’t speak about other things.”
Mourinho added that it should be possible for yellow cards for diving to be eradicated if the referee accepts he has made a mistake, while Fàbregas was also damning of Taylor’s decision. “There was definitely contact,” the Spaniard said. “The referee didn’t have the best game of his life and I don’t think he will sleep that well tonight. He had an awful game.”
The consolation for Chelsea, who hope to have Oscar back from illness when they visit Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day, is that they remain three points ahead of City.
Southampton ended the game with 10 men after Morgan Schneiderlin’s late red card for two bookings but the draw kept them in fourth place. They took the lead through Sadio Mané in the first half, only for Eden Hazard to equalise on the stroke of half-time.
“One point against Chelsea may be three points against another opponent,” the Southampton manager, Ronald Koeman, said. “We learn from the mistakes in the past. If we keep going like this, we can fight for a high position.”