Mourinho's Notebook - German Goats and a Bunch of Babies
What A Bunch Of Babies
Zlatan: “The worst is when I got the red card all the Chelsea players come around. It felt like I had a lot of babies around me.”
Controversy in the Champions League, just how we like it. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sent off in debatable circumstances 31 minutes into PSG’s second leg at Chelsea for a tackle on Oscar, which you can definitely argue Zlatan had pulled out of. But amidst a crowd of blues shirts (literally every player bar the GK Courtois and the supposedly injured Oscar), the ref flopped out a red one.
It was a high tempered game throughout, with Chelsea eventually falling on away goals after extra time. Basically anyone with a pen, a laptop or a twitter feed (along with a mild interest in the Beautiful Game) has condemned CFC for their intimidation tactics, but John Terry – naturally one of the main offenders – has come to his side’s defence (having run from his side’s defence to start this whole thing).
"Once they're charging the ref, the only thing we can do is respond. You can't as a group of players let them surround the ref, trying to get our players booked. For me if I have to run 20, 30 yards, it doesn't look great but when you're standing back and seeing five or six of their players surrounding the ref, for me I think I support my team-mates. And once I go, four or five go with me, it doesn't look good at all but that's part of the game. We'll match it if people want to mix it, that's part of our game as well.”
So, it’s all PSG’s fault for starting it, basically.
Not that the French side deserve to escape all blame. They had their share of scummery too.
Football, eh? Love it.
Call It Even?
Taking the… Goat… By the Horns
Anthony Ujah, Nigerian striker of German club Cologne, has apologised to a goat after roughly involving the animal in his goal celebrations. After firing in an 82nd minute net-buster to put his side up 4-1 (it finished 4-2, still emphatic), Ujah peeled off in ecstasy. Over to the sideline he ran, pumping his arms, and then opportunistically grabbing the team mascot, Hennes VIII, by the horns and hauling him onto his hind legs as the animal’s handlers tried to pry it back.
First of all, about that name. Hennes VIII. Named as such because he’s the eighth Hennes, following a 65 year old trend of goats named Hennes. He’s a big deal at the club, leading them onto the pitch at every game and a true fan favourite. Here’s his story, we love him already.
Anyway, Ujah’s roughhousing was a little much, and he promptly apologised on Instagram. Ujah was also on hand later in the week to help celebrate Hennes’ eighth birthday, with a peace offering of carrots.
Cologne (or Köln in the Germanic tongue) sporting director Jörg Schmadtke: “Hennes is used to such stuff. He may have a bit of a sore neck”.
The Dreaded Vote of Confidence
March 4:
"I don't believe that a change of manager would lead to different results. The players are working with him so we've got to hope that he can pull it off like last year. Whatever happens, happens, but in the meantime I am fully supportive of the manager."
Milwall chairman John Berylson on Ian Holloway
March 10:
G For Gunners
From GQ Magazine UK
