Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho lashed out at English referee Howard Webb after his side were denied a place in the Champions League final by Borussia Dortmund yesterday.
Real came within a whisker of pulling off a remarkable comeback after losing their semi-final first leg 4-1 in Germany last week, but came up just short with a 2-0 win at the Bernabeu to exit 4-3 on aggregate.
Mourinho, who knows Webb well from his days as Chelsea manager, said the referee should have dismissed Dortmund’s Mats Hummels for handball in the second half; he accused Webb of not doing so to allow the centre back to play in next month’s final.
“It’s not a penalty, it is foul because it was out of the box, but it is clearly a red card because Cristiano’s pass leaves Benzema in front of the goalkeeper. Hummels stopped the ball: red card, with 18 minutes remaining plus the injury time, around 23, 24 to the end. In that moment Webb was not a referee, he was a human being and thought ‘this kid; Hummels is not going to play the final (if I send him off)’. He has to be a referee first and then a human being. He had to dismiss Hummels and then history could have been different,” said the outspoken Portuguese, who is a regular critic of match officials and has clashed several times with soccer authorities.
Asked about his future, a visibly moved Mourinho said in English that he would speak by the end of the season, adding that he felt loved in England.
“And in the end of the season I want to sit with, with Mr. Florentino Perez, my president, my friend and decide the best, the best for me. I know in England I’m loved. I know. I know I’m loved. I’m loved by, by the fans; I’m loved, I’m loved by the media, that treats me in a fair, in a fair way way, criticising me when they have, but giving me credit when, when I deserve it. I know I’m loved by, by some clubs, especially one. And in Spain the situation is, is a bit different because some people hates me,” Mourinho said.
Borussia Dortmund survived a stirring Real Madrid fight back to book their place in the Champions League final.
Real looked down and out before substitute Karim Benzema scored from close range in the 83rd minute and Sergio Ramos struck five minutes later, but with the Real fans going wild in the stands Dortmund held on.
Asked about Mourinho’s claims that Hummels’ handball could have been a game changer, Coach Juergen Klopp said there were many things that could make a difference in the match.
“I can perfectly understand that when a team is defeated so closely they must be very sad. If I had seen it (Hummels’ handball) I could say, but I didn’t see that and none of my players remember that, Mourinho said. If it is part of the global package, many things have an influence in the game. Everyone is doing their best. I have to say it, this is too much for me, I have to say it. Ramos did many things against Lewandowski that didn’t get called,” said Klopp.
The Borussia coach added: “Many, many things had happened in this game and the last game, so we are the absolute deserved team to go to, to go to Wembley. I never thought that this could happen, but now it is like it is. It is unbelievable and I’m so proud of all of my team.”
Klopp also said Borussia were not favourites to win the final, whoever they play.
“It will be one of the greatest moments (to play the final in Wembley) in our life. But I can say, when we are there, we don’t want to be a tourist. I think it’s not important against which team we play, we are not the favourites, so it’s the perfect role,” said the coach.
Dortmund, the European champions in 1997 on their only appearance in the final, will play German rivals Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the May 25 showpiece at Wembley stadium.
