After receiving a backlash following his altercation on Saturday, Chelsea coach Marco Ianni has received support from none other than Man Utd boss Jose Mourinho.
Ross Barkley scored a dramatic late equaliser for the Blues against United at Stamford Bridge to secure a 2-2 draw for his side which unsurprisingly sparked scenes of celebration amongst the players and fans.
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However, it spilt over to the bench with Ianni caught on replays celebrating right in front of the Man Utd bench and seemingly goaded Mourinho who reacted angrily and had to be held back by stewards.
The situation calmed down relatively quickly before the Portuguese tactician confirmed in his post-match interview that he had accepted an apology from Ianni in Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri’s office.
Nevertheless, the fallout has continued in the public domain in terms of question marks over what should happen to the Chelsea coach given his unprofessional behaviour.
To his credit, Mourinho has done his part to ensure that he doesn’t lose his job over the incident as he has seemingly insisted he has already forgotten about it after receiving an apology.
“I am not happy that it is going too far with the young boy,” he said, as noted by Sky Sports. “I don’t think he deserves more than what he got. He apologised to me, I accept his apologies. I think he deserves a second chance. I don’t think he deserves to be sacked.
“End of story with me, is the minute he apologised to me. Let the boy work. Everybody makes mistakes – I made a lot of mistakes.”
From his antics at Old Trafford while with Porto to his clash with Arsene Wenger at Stamford Bridge, there have been countless scenarios in which Mourinho hasn’t painted himself in the best light.
In turn, for him to accept that and his own history when discussing Ianni and essentially sticking up for him, it’s a classy move from him and one that will surely be appreciated by the man in question who will be hoping that his regrettable actions don’t earn him further repercussions beyond the FA charge he received on Monday, as per the tweet below.
BREAKING: The @FA have charged @ChelseaFC coach Marco Ianni with alleged improper conduct following goal in 96th minute of game against @ManUtd. pic.twitter.com/UkCVdNN0v4
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 22, 2018