Sunday 4 October 2015 08:28, UK
Jose Mourinho delivered a remarkable speech following Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat to Southampton on Saturday Night Football.
The Blues manager was asked just one question by Sky Sports reporter Greg Whelan and responded with an answer that exceeded seven minutes.
Here is the full transcript…
Greg Whelan: "Jose, what did you make of your team's performance today?"
Jose Mourinho: "Look, I think you know me and I think don't run away from responsibilities. First of all I want to say that because we are in such a bad moment, you shouldn't be afraid to be also honest.
"When we are at the top I understand that there is quite a big pleasure in putting us down but when you are down I think you need to be a bit honest and to make clear that the referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea. The result [was] 1-1, there is a huge penalty and, once more, we don't get. A penalty is a crucial moment in the game with the result 1-1.
"I repeat, if the FA want to punish me, they can punish me, they don't punish other managers, they punish me - it's not a problem for me. But I want to repeat because I think my players deserve it, I think our fans deserve it and I am a Chelsea fan too. I want to say it again: referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.
I think you need to be a bit honest and to make clear that the referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.
"Why? Because if they give there is always a question mark from you, there is always a question, there is always a critic, we are always punished. We are punished because we have Diego Costa suspended with images, in other matches we see the same thing and it doesn't happen, clear penalties are not given and with us it is one and one and one and one.
"Even in the Champions League, in a match we lose 2-1, which is a game there is not three officials but with five, we are not given a penalty in the last minute. This penalty, in this game today is more than crucial.
"Do you know why? Because my team in this moment, the first negative thing that happens, the team collapse. Mentally, psychologically the team is unbelievably down. It looks like good players are bad players and the first half was a game where we didn't show our quality but we were in control. We were more than in control.
"But one mistake, lack of concentration, one goal and you arrive at half-time in normal circumstances you come to the second half and you do your game. I told the players at half-time 'no panic, we are not losing 4-0, is no panic, 1-1'.
"The team comes with a good spirit, we have a penalty and the penalty is a giant penalty and he was afraid to give, like everybody else is afraid to give. So no penalty and after that the team lost even more confidence and you know that their second goal is an individual mistake, their third goal is another individual mistake and the team mentally, they try, they try, they try but they collapse - they are in such a low moment that they collapse.
"I can also know what you are thinking, what you are saying in the studio. People imagine, what is going to happen, what is not going to happen. I want to make it clear: one, I don't run away. Two, if the club want to sack me, they have to sack me because I am not running away from my responsibilities, from my team and from my conviction.
"To be champion is obviously very, very difficult because the distance is considerable but I am more than convinced that we finish top four and when the season is so bad if you finish top four, it is okay.
If the club sacks me, they sack the best manager that this club had.
"Third, even more important that the first and the second, I think this is a crucial moment in the history of this club. Do you know why? Because if the club sacks me, they sack the best manager that this club had and secondly, the message is again the message that bad results, the manager is guilty.
"This is the message that not just these players but other ones before, that they got during a decade. I think this is a moment for everybody to assume responsibilities, I assume my responsibilities, I think the players should assume their responsibilities, they are other people at the club that they should also assume their responsibilities and to stick together. This is what I want.
"The players, they still have to play until the end of the season with the gold champion thing on their shirt and I want to work as always. I consider myself, you know, I have big self-esteem and a big ego - I consider myself the best. Leaving the worst period of my career, the worst results of my career as a professional hurts me a lot.
"Enduring that at Chelsea hurts me twice because it hurts me as a professional and it hurts me because I like this club very, very much and it was because of this that I came back. So I want to carry on, no doubt, and I assume my responsibilities but I think it is time for everybody to assume their responsibilities.
"Because when you go down to so many individual mistakes and fear to play, they have their responsibilities and they are players who are playing really, really bad individually, I cannot come here and say you and you and you and you, it is not my job. But I think it is clear.
"I think it's clear we are being punished by too many individual mistakes and as I was saying sadness brings sadness, bad results they attract bad results and the first mistake is just the first because after comes another one.
"This team needs to finish the first half winning two or 3-0 with the fears disappearing coming to the second half and play with a free brain, with a free spirit.
"This is what this team and this is not happening. Again, I repeat, so I want to make it clear again because I don't want to be offensive, I don't want to be non-polite, I don't want to put in cause the dignity of people but I repeat: the referees, they are afraid to give decisions.
"And when you are top you want to see people come down, when people are down, give us a break and be honest and be loyal with us because the team deserves that. The penalty is clear and 2-1 is a completely different story."
