MADRID // Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was in a curt mood on the eve of his team’s Uefa Champions League semi-final first leg with Atletico Madrid and refused to discuss Saturday’s English Premier League loss to Sunderland.
Gus Poyet’s relegation-threatened side won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to end Mourinho’s 77-match unbeaten home record in the Premier League and further dent Chelsea’s title hopes, leaving the European Cup as their most likely chance of silverware this term.
Midfielder Ramires, Mourinho and his assistant Rui Faria could all face scrutiny when the English Football Association returns from its extended weekend today for incidents during the defeat.
Mourinho made only a statement after the match in which he made veiled criticisms of the officials and referees’ chief Mike Riley, and he declined to elaborate yesterday.
“Today and tomorrow and also Wednesday are Champions League days and if you want to speak about the Premier League you have 19 teams in England that you can speak with,” Mourinho said.
“Chelsea today and tomorrow is Champions League and we are only available to speak about Champions League.
“We are lucky to be involved in the Champions League, so we are lucky that in the next two days we don’t think about the Premier League and what’s happened and what is going to happen because now we only think about tomorrow.”
Striker Samuel Eto’o was absent with a knee injury as Chelsea travelled to Spain.
Playmaker Eden Hazard was in the squad despite a two-week absence with a calf injury, but Branislav Ivanovic is suspended, meaning David Luiz could play at right-back or Ashley Cole could return on the left side of defence.
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