Sunday 22 February 2015 16:13, UK
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho took a thinly-veiled swipe at referee Martin Atkinson after a controversial 1-1 draw with Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
The league leaders had led through a first-half Branislav Ivanovic goal but the game turned in the 70th minute when Nemanja Matic was sent off for lashing out at Ashley Barnes and Ben Mee equalised for the visitors soon after.
Mourinho insisted that Barnes should not have been on the pitch to commit the studs-up foul as he deemed his 31st-minute knee on Ivanovic worthy of a red card.
The Chelsea boss also disagreed with Atkinson's decision to reject penalty appeals when Michael Kightly handed the ball in the 34th minute and Jason Shackell barged over Diego Costa in the 44th minute but, mindful of avoiding another run-in with the authorities, chose his post-match words carefully.
“I think there are four moments where you can write the story of the game,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “Minutes 30, 33, 43 and 69 – the game had four moments, but do not ask me more questions, as I will not answer because I do not want to be punished.
“I cannot describe those incidents as, to do that, I have to use words that I cannot use and so it is better that we finish here. You do what you want to do, speak what you want to speak, you are not punished by that, I am, and I do not want to look silly in front of you, but I have to repeat: 30, 33, 43 and 69.
“I have nothing more to say, I am sorry,” he added, before saying: “I am surprised we did not lose all three points.”
Asked further about Barnes's challenge in his news conference, Mourinho aded: “The player – if I can call him a player – that was involved in minute 69 and was also involved in minute 30, should have normally been in the shower in minute 31
“But I prefer to finish here and just to say 30, 33, 43 and 69, and this is the story of the game.”
And when asked if Chelsea would appeal Matic’s red card, Mourinho asked: “Have you ever seen Chelsea win an appeal? I do not remember.”
