Jose Mourinho loses appeal of fine, suspended stadium ban

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has failed in his appeal against a suspended stadium ban, England’s Football Association has announced. Mourinho was given the suspended ban, along with a £50,000 fine, for comments about the referee after his side’s defeat to Southampton on Oct. 3.

An FA statement read: “An Appeal Board has dismissed the appeal from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in relation to a decision made by an Independent Regulatory Commission.”

Mourinho was angry that his side were not awarded a penalty early in the second half, with the game all square, when striker Radamel Falcao went down under Saints goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg’s challenge and was booked for diving. Southampton went on to win the game 3-1 and in a remarkable post-match interview with Sky Sports 1, Mourinho was asked only one question and responded with a seven-minute diatribe in which he claimed:

“The referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.

“At 1-1 we have a penalty – it is a giant penalty, and he is afraid to give (it) like everybody else is afraid to give (them). If the FA want to punish me, they don’t punish other managers but okay, they can punish me.

“I want to make it clear again, referees are afraid to give decisions. When you are top, you want to see people down. When we are down, give us a break.”

“The Appeal Board has upheld the original sanction and therefore it remains that Mr Mourinho’s suspended stadium ban will be immediately invoked should he be found by an Independent Regulatory Commission to have committed a further breach of FA Rule E3 for any comment or statement to or through the media before 13 October 2016.”