Sports

Aftermath of MAN U’s Loss, Angry Mourinho Storms Out of Press Conference

Published

8 years ago

August 28, 2018

Eric

Manchester United Manager, Jose Mourinho stormed out of his news conference, following Monday’s 3-0 home defeat by Tottenham Hotspur.

Mourinho was ranting about the three titles he won with Chelsea and demanding “respect” from reporters present.

The conference came shortly after he had stood at length in front of a mainly empty Stretford End applauding United’s fans.

It added to a somewhat bizarre epilogue on another miserable night for the 20-times English champions.

“We lost against Sevilla (last season in the Champions League last 16) and we were booed because we deserved it.

“Today the players left the pitch after losing at home and they were applauded because they deserved it, so we keep trying, trying, trying,” Mourinho said.

“What was the score? This (holding three fingers up). What is this also? Three Premierships I have won, more Premierships than the other 19 managers put together.
Me three, them two,” he said. “Respect, respect, respect.”

Perhaps the performance for the media was intended to show his defiance in the face of two defeats from the opening three games of the season.

Maybe he felt that a display of passion would go down well with the supporters at Old Trafford, who, it should be noted, showed no sign of turning against him.

Or was Mourinho just deflecting from the fact that he lacks any answer to the most obvious question facing him.

The question is: how to sort out a defence that has leaked six goals in two games and was opened up with ease by Spurs after the break?

Mourinho had made it clear during the off-season that he wanted to sign at least one new centre-half and the performances of the five he has employed this season have amply demonstrated he was right.

Eric Bailly was not even on the bench against Spurs, Victor Lindelof came on for the injured Phil Jones and made a series of mistakes.

Also Chris Smalling, who had made a key tackle in the first half to deny Dele Alli, was left standing by Lucas Moura for the third goal.

Exactly why United did not bring in a new player in that department, whether it be Leicester City’s Harry Maguire, Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld or Bayern Munich’s Jerome Boateng.

The players were all linked with the club and their absence in that department remains unclear.

Mourinho has denied there is a rift with United chief executive Ed Woodward about the lack of transfer activity.

But there is no straight answer from either party about why the club failed to bring in a new central defender.

What the former Chelsea manager is clear about is that he doesn’t have a clue what combination can sort out the mess, “No,” he said.

“Because in the first game Lindelof and Bailly, now Jones and Smalling but now Jones is injured and in the next match will be Smalling with another one.

“When Marcos Rojo comes he will also be an option. I don’t know my best back four.”

There isn’t much time for Mourinho to find the right solutions — United are already six points behind the Premier League’s top four — Spurs, Liverpool, Chelsea and Watford who all have 100 percent records.

It is hard to see this United team challenging for the title but there is a real danger that their poor start could turn into a much deeper slump.

(Reuters/NAN)

Sports

Luka Modric’s World Cup Story Ends, Cristiano Ronaldo Gets Lifeline

Published

1 day ago

July 3, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

It was an emotional encounter as two of world’s best footballers; Luca Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo squared against each other in a bid to lay their hands on the coveted World Cup trophy when Portugal met Croatia in the round of 32. But after about 97minutes of play time, the World Cup story of Modric came to am abrupt end while Ronaldo gets a lifeline, proceeding to the Round of 16.

Both Ronaldo and Modric are not likely to feature in another World Cup tournament.

Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday to set up a titanic showdown with European champions Spain.

In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equaliser agonisingly ruled out for offside in Toronto.

Portugal’s 41-year-old superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic.

Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced home a sensational header deep into injury time to give Portugal the lead.

But Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates were left stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equaliser in stoppage time.

Yet there was one final twist when the goal was chalked off for offside after a lengthy VAR review to the disbelief of Croatia’s players and their large contingent of fans at Toronto’s BMO Field.

After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the number 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a car crash almost a year to the day from Thursday’s win, on July 3 last year.

“We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo said afterwards of the tribute to Jota.

“I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but the also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.”

The result ensures that Ronaldo’s incredible World Cup career will be extended for at least one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 in Dallas on Monday.

Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match.

Spain romp past Austria

Spain had advanced to that meeting with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their status as one of the favourites for the title.

Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round.

Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match.

AFP

Sports

Ronaldo Celebrates Saudi Pro League Win with Al-Nassr

Published

1 month ago

May 22, 2026

Eric

Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.

They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.

The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.

Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.

Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.

Sports

FIFA Lists Six Females Among 52 Referees for 2026 World Cup

Published

3 months ago

April 10, 2026

Eric

FIFA on Thursday unveiled its list of match officials for the June 11-July 19 World Cup, including 52 referees, six of whom are women.

Football’s governing body will also take 88 assistant referees and 30 video match officials, who hail from all six confederations and 50 member associations.

“The selected match officials are the very best in the world,” said Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s chief refereeing officer.

“They were part of a wider pool of officials that was identified and monitored over the past three years. They have attended seminars and officiated at FIFA tournaments.

“In addition, their performances in domestic and international matches were regularly assessed.”

The World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico will be the biggest in history, with a 48-team line-up and 104 matches to be played.

There are 41 more match officials than at Qatar four years ago, where 32 teams played 64 matches.

“The fact that six women match officials have been selected continues a trend that was started four years ago in Qatar as we aim to further develop women’s refereeing,” Collina said, with six women having already refereed in 2022.

AFP