Jose Mourinho might now be residing in Italy, but that doesn’t mean that he’s out of the English media spotlight. It’s clear that he’s afraid of being forgotten in the United Kingdom, which would explain why he regularly feels the need to comment on an aspect of the Premier League, and this statement is arguably the most controversial to date!
Quite why the former Chelsea manager feels the need to ‘name and shame’ the players who allegedly dive the most is open to question, with Setanta reporting that he’s mentioned a footballer from each of the Big Four. We’re not sure if former love Didier Drogba is going to enjoy hearing about this from the Portugeezer!
“I am no longer Chelsea manager and I don’t have to defend them so I think it’s correct if I say [Didier] Drogba is a diver,” stated Mourinho.
“[Cristiano] Ronaldo, Fernando Torres, Robin van Persie are the divers who won more penalties during the last four or five years.
“English football criticises divers. In England, coaches teach the kids how to play a game of football but in Italy, Spain and Portugal, coaches teach the kids how to win a game.
“When players go England they need to adapt. Drogba today is better than he was before. Ronaldo is better than he was. And Torres will be better too.”
Do Manchester United fans agree that Cristiano Ronaldo goes down in the box very easily? He’s probably the player that neutral fans would mention if asked about diving in the Premier League? As for Robin Van Persie, wasn’t it Arsenal team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor who was booked for diving on Saturday? And surely Liverpool supporters can’t agree with the statement about Torres, who might know how to win a free-kick but is surely more likely to try and score than fall down in the penalty area like a sack of a spuds?
Discuss the latest transfer gossip at the Brand New COS forum!