Chelsea’s Jose Mourinho fumes at ‘Diego Costa crimes’ and other club coverage

Referees, opponents and even his Sky Sports hosts were on Jose Mourinho’s target list as he made a surprise appearance on “Goals” on Sunday.

A day after his Chelsea side were controversially held 1-1 by Burnley in a Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, Mourinho revived his complaints about refereeing standards and media coverage, taking the opportunity to let Sky Sports know directly how he feels about their coverage of Diego Costa after a clash against Liverpool last month.

Mourinho was left angered by a string of incidents in the Burnley match, which saw his side denied two penalties while Ashley Barnes was guilty of two poor challenges, going unpunished even as Nemanja Matic was sent off for his reaction to the second.

But Mourinho was also still fuming about Sky’s coverage of Costa, who was handed a three-match retrospective ban after replays showed him stamping on Liverpool’s Emre Can last month, an incident branded “Costa’s Crimes” in Sky Sports coverage.

“When I finished at the game against Liverpool, I went to the dressing room and the first thing I saw on the big screen, reading non-stop: ‘Diego Costa crimes’,” Mourinho said.

“I would like to know how to you, Sky Sports, describe the actions of the Burnley player yesterday? My English is not good enough to find a word.

“When you think ‘Diego crimes’ after he puts his boot on a hand, when this is ‘Diego crimes’, the minimum you have to say is ‘criminal tackle’.

“Did you apologise to Chelsea, to Diego or myself? You didn’t. As an institution, Sky is so important in the Premier League, you never apologise.

“When Diego Costa has a three-match ban, probably three matches to Matic … tell me how many matches this player deserves?”

Mourinho was fined £25,000 (Dh141,000) by the Football Association in January for claiming there was a “campaign” in the media against Chelsea, but maintained his attack on coverage.

“I don’t like the fact you start immediately, in that moment, the public judgement of the player,” he added, with regard to the Costa coverage. “You gave no space to the people that have to decide, the pressure was so much.

“You don’t do this with every club, with every player. Last year, Yaya Toure against Norwich, you didn’t have the same approach; Van Persie against West Ham, you didn’t have the same approach.”

Mourinho repeated his list of complaints regarding decisions which he believes have gone against his team this season, suggesting Chelsea would be 12 points clear of Manchester City rather than five had officials got their decisions right.

“I’m just trying to be honest,” he said. “If you ask me about the five-points difference I would say that if we are in a normal situation where mistakes which are part of the game are sometimes in our favour, sometimes against us, it wouldn’t be five, it would be 12.”

The Portuguese said he was sympathetic to the difficulties referees face, and suggested that more video technology should be used.

“If the referee cannot see a penalty three metres in front of him, some official in front of a screen cannot miss it,” he said.

“If we want to protect the integrity of referees and believe the mistake is a consequence of misinterpretation or a bad position or the unpredictability of the game, I think technology can help.”

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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