World Cup, Jose Mourinho: No FIFA favoritism, just ‘bad organization’
By Mike Dyce
After the United States’ game against Portugal, head coach Jurgen Klinsmann ripped FIFA over what he called favoritism. Specifically that the Germans played their second game in a city close to the rest of the host sites, while the United States played in the Amazon in the remote Manaus hours away, and have one day less to rest and travel than the Germans.
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“[Germany], they played yesterday, we played today. We played in the Amazon, they played in a location where they don’t have to travel much. Everything was done for the big favorites. We’re going to do it the tough way,” Klinsmann said, via ESPN.
Well Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is serving as Yahoo’s Global Football Ambassador during the 2014 World Cup and he addressed Klinsmann’s comments. Mourinho isn’t necessarily known for being cautious and careful with his words, but he disagreed with Klinsmann to a certain extent, taking his own shot at FIFA in the process.
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“That situation of 24 hours more from one team to another team that have to play the third match now, like is the case of our group with Portugal and the U.S., is FIFA trying to protect Germany and Ghana, and not Portugal and U.S? I don’t think so. I think it’s just bad organization,” Mourinho said.
“So, I prefer to go in that direction. When I look to the matches, there is one that is clear in my eyes, which is the bad quality of the pitch. Almost every pitch has not the best qualities to play high quality football. And for me, in this moment, I am not a coach involved in the tournament. I’m just somebody that is in front of the screen trying to enjoy the best football, is something that I don’t think is acceptable at that level. The pitches are not the best.”
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/video/fifa-showing-favoritism-certain-nations-012321261.html
Jose Mourinho is an exclusive analyst for Yahoo’s worldwide football coverage and www.yahoo.co.uk/worldcup is the only place to read all his expert opinions during the FIFA World Cup 2014.