'Honest' Mourinho accuses Italy of shamefulness

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MILAN, Feb 25, 2010 (AFP) - Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho hit out at his adopted home's 'shameful' record in matters of footballing fairplay while defending his own widely-criticised weekend actions.

Mourinho was on Monday hit with a three-game touchline ban and 40,000-euro fine after having made a handcuffs gesture during Saturday's 0-0 home draw against Sampdoria and apparently insulted match officials -- the latter a claim which he denies.

The Portuguese's actions have been pilloried by some sections of the press and certain people in football and he has been accused of bringing the game into disrepute.

But far from waving a white handkerchief, the former Porto boss came out swinging following the 2-1 Champions League victory against Premier League leaders Chelsea.

"You can look at history however you want to but when I was back in Portugal and the whole Calciopoli scandal broke out I felt ashamed to be feeding my family from football, ashamed," he said.

"But I'll tell you something, I came to Italy as an honest person and I will leave an honest person."

It is not the first time that Mourinho has pointed his finger at Italian football, but his reference to the Calciopoli scandal is sure to touch a raw nerve.

His evocation of that uncomfortable episode was particularly poignant given that Inter were the only one of the big three teams in the country -- the other two being Milan and Juventus -- not to be punished in the whole sordid affair.

But these latest comments are sure to land him in hot water once again, despite his best efforts to avoid further sanctions.

Last month he copped an 18,000-euro fine for suggesting after the Milan derby -- which his team won 2-0 despite being reduced to nine men and giving away a penalty -- that everything had been attempted to try to prevent his team from winning.

Mourinho has been careful not to use the word conspiracy before but it is clear that the former Stamford Bridge boss believes the authorities are trying every means -- some fair but mostly foul -- to halt his side's inexorable march towards a fifth straight Serie A crown.

Some accuse him of paranoia but whether there is a conspiracy or not, more than once Mourinho has seemed to have a point.

His team have been denied some clear-cut penalties this season while both Milan and Juve have benefitted from highly dubious ones.

His players have been booked for diving and sent off for complaining -- actions that form part of the culture of Italian football and go unpunished dozens of times in every game, week in, week out.

It all adds fuel to the fires of rumour that suggest the self-styled 'Special One's' stay in the land of pizza and pasta is likely to be short.

There is no love lost between Mourinho and Italy and the man himself appears increasingly frustrated at what he sees as double standards.

He has been hit with five touchline bans in just over a year and a half in the country while he has been dismissed four times by referees for protesting against their decisions, and yet rarely does any other coach get sent to the stands or banned from the bench.

Having been asked about a penalty denied to Fiorentina during their match against Milan on Wednesday -- the score was 1-1 at the time but Milan went on to snatch an injury time winner -- Mourinho replied: "I don't want to talk about the league otherwise I'll get another two-game ban."

In such situations the best response is always one given on the pitch and that is where Inter, top of the league by four points and the only Italian team to win their second round, first leg match in the Champions League, and Mourinho in particular speak loudest of all.