Friday 6 November 2015 18:18, UK
Jose Mourinho has confirmed he will not appeal against the stadium ban for Chelsea's Saturday Night Football game against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium.
The ban - imposed after a half-time altercation with referee Jon Moss that saw him sent to the stands during a 2-1 defeat at West Ham last month - means he will not be with his side as they bid to return to winning ways in the Premier League.
Had he appealed, he would have been able to take his place on the bench on Saturday, but speaking ahead of the game, he explained his reasons for accepting the punishment.
"The match is tomorrow, I know the result of the appeal already, so I decide to give up," he said. "I think it's stupid to fight a fight you know you will already lose.
"This stadium ban is connected to words, to complaints. I can imagine that in the future we are going to have lots of managers with stadium bans, because the stadium bans should be related to something really serious.
"In this moment it's open for in the future the stadium ban to happen much more times, unless we have our association or other associations around Europe that question in a very serious and legal way about the rights of the managers and having stadium bans."
In response to Mourinho's comments, the League Managers' Association's chief executive Richard Bevan released a statement later on Friday to confirm the issue was being looked at.
"The LMA are already analysing stadium bans, match bans and the level of fines given to managers," he said.
"We are liasing with the Leagues and the FA prior to the next stakeholders meeting when we will be discussing the matter. That will be taking place within the next month."
Asked how Mourinho plans to watch the contest, he said: "You can imagine that it's not easy. You can imagine how I feel. And I don't want to speak a lot about it.
"I have no plans. Maybe I sit in the street corner with my iPad. Maybe I don't even watch the game.
"One thing is not to be on the bench. Because against West Ham the referee told me not to be on the bench in the second half, but nobody told me to leave the stadium.
"In this moment I'm stopped not just to do my work, I'm stopped from going to a football stadium."
Mourinho reportedly flouted a UEFA-imposed stadium ban by hiding in a laundry skip during his first spell with Chelsea.
He refused to confirm or deny the episode on Friday, but said he was not tempted to do something similar at Stoke.
"No. No temptation," he added. "I know the situation where I am in relation to the football power in this country and I have to adapt to it."
When asked what the logistics will be ahead of the game, he added: "I travel with the team, until the moment somebody stops me, which I think is the stadium compound.
"I will give a plan to my staff for in-game decisions, so all responsibility is still my responsibility."
On Thursday, Mourinho failed with an appeal against a separate suspended stadium ban and £50,000 fine for comments made after Chelsea's match against Southampton.
Mourinho admitted a breach of FA rules - but appealed against the severity of the sentence - after he was charged for misconduct with his comments deemed to have "alleged and/or implied bias on the part of a match official or match officials".
The Blues boss is also the subject of an individual legal claim from former Chelsea team doctor Eva Carneiro - suggesting she holds Mourinho responsible in part or in full for her departure from Stamford Bridge which came after the pair clashed on the touchline during Chelsea's 2-2 draw with Swansea on the opening day of the season.
