Jose Mourinho regrets using the word “campaign” to describe how he felt Chelsea were treated this season but still believes they were harshly treated by officials and media, British newspapers reported on Saturday.
Despite Chelsea having cantered to the Premier League title — leading second-placed Manchester City by eight points with one match remaining — Mourinho suggested on several occasions this term that there was a clear campaign against his side.
“We had lots of mistakes against us. That’s the reality but that’s football. Maybe ‘campaign’ is not a nice word. Maybe I would take that word out from my explanation and my comments, but that’s the reality,” he was quoted as saying by The Guardian.
In January, Mourinho was fined $38,000 by the Football Association (FA) for suggesting there was a campaign to influence referees’ decisions against Chelsea.
Mourinho was talking specifically about an incident in which midfielder Cesc Fabregas was not given a penalty against Southampton and instead was booked for diving.
The Portuguese coach was also incensed in February by a Sky Sports News feature headlined ‘Costa Crimes’ in relation to the alleged misdemeanours of Chelsea’s Spain forward Diego Costa and accused the broadcaster of partiality.
Although 52-year-old Mourinho regretted using the word ‘campaign’, he nevertheless repeated the assertion that his side were harshly dealt with this season.
“I’m not the kind of person to regret, what you did you did. What happened, happened. You cannot change things. Time does not go back,” he said. “We had very bad decisions over a big period of time. But I also made bad decisions, so no problem.
“The word ‘campaign’ was even the subject of punishment because the word was strong. My feeling was that we had lots of mistakes against us, that punished us in crucial matches in a crucial period –- November, December, January.
“I would take the word ‘campaign’ (out) if the same happened next season. It would be out of my vocabulary. But that feeling is clear. We had lots of decisions against us.”
Mourinho’s Chelsea will be presented with the Premier League trophy after their home game against Sunderland on Sunday.