Jose Mourinho: cheat or genius?

This week, Uefa decided to punish Real Madrid and manager Jose Mourinho for the much-publicized match versus Ajax, which had led many to question the integrity of the ‘Special One’ following the red cards received by Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos. The debates over the incident have been raging for the last week; did the players manufacture their red cards? Did Mourinho instruct them to do so? And, if he did, is there really anything wrong or illegal about his logical thinking? Uefa have decided that the answer to each of these questions is yes, and, predictably, have dished out fines which amount to sums that those found guilty probably regard as loose change. Many had hoped that the governing body would take a stand against this blatant gamesmanship and hand out real punishments to Madrid and their manager. However, in their infinite wisdom, Uefa have essentially shown that they will not come down hard on this type of cheating, something which will hardly dissuade a repeat of such an incident.

It is the 87th minute of Real’s tie with Ajax, their penultimate game of the group stages of the Champions League. Goals from Karim Benzema, Alvaro Arbeloa and a Cristiano Ronaldo brace have given Real a comfortable 4-0 lead, a result which will see them advance as group winners with a game to spare. However, there is one downside to an otherwise sublime performance; key men Alonso and Ramos have picked up potentially disastrous yellow cards. In the Champions League, bookings accumulated in the group stages carry into the round of sixteen, before the slate is wiped clean for the quarter finals. If Alonso and/or Ramos where to collect a booking in the final group match, or the first leg of the round of sixteen, they would be handed a one match ban. In Europe, potentially against world class opposition, the absence of two players of this caliber could be the difference between victory and defeat. So, Xabi Alonso, a player with an exemplary disciplinary record conveniently stalls over a free kick, provoking the referee to brandish his second yellow card. More bemused than suspicious, television commentators suggested that, in fact, the referee had done Real a favour. Four minutes later, Ramos was sent off in an identical incident, taking an age over a goal kick until the incensed fans at the Amsterdam Arena and the protests of the personification of sportsmanship, Luis Suarez, led the referee to produce his second red card of the night.

What made the incident so farcical was the almost comical sequence of events which led to the red cards. Mourinho was seen talking to reserve keeper Jerzy Dudek, who then sprinted the length of the pitch to converse with Iker Casillas. Real’s captain then continued this peculiar game of Chinese Whispers, seeming to pass on instructions to Ramos just before his sending off, presumably to repeat Alonso’s antics. Adding to the surreal nature of the incident, Ramos shook hands with the referee as he saw red, and walked off the pitch without a protest, an occurrence seen rarely in modern football.

The issue then, and the reason that such outrage was incurred by Mourinho’s actions, is the fact that Real now go into the last sixteen with the luxury of a full squad, possibly to face team missing star players… but not their moral integrity. The fact that Uefa did nothing but fine the players involved is sure to cause outrage amongst Real’s eventual oppositions, who will not see the funny side of the governing body’s incompetence. There had been calls for each player involved- Alonso, Ramos, Dudek and Casillas- to be handed three-game suspensions, which would have presented Real with such difficulties that a repeat of such an incident would be discouraged. Additionally, the incident effectively proved that Mourinho has already completely disregarded the final group game with Auxerre, despite the fact that the French club will be battling with Ajax for 3rd position and EUROPA League qualification. This conjures recent memories from the Premier League, such as Mick McCarthy’s open acceptance of defeat at Manchester United, in which he rested his entire first team for what he perceived as a more important clash with a fellow relegation candidate the following week, an incident which saw the Wolves manager heavily fined and criticized. Surely this case is no different, and Ajax will feel rightly aggrieved if Auxerre defeat a drastically under strength Real Madrid in two weeks time to clinch third place in the group.

So is Mourinho a downright cheat, or did he simply show intuition and forward thinking? Following the game he stated in an interview “Stories sell, but the important thing is the 4-0 win and the fantastic game we had. Let’s talk about that and not other things” a rather generic response in which he does not deny initiating the red cards. It is clear to everyone who has seen the incident that Mourinho could not be guiltier, and he knows it. However the genius lies in the fact that he knew that no one would ever be able to prove that each sending off was premeditated. It must have been an easy decision for him to accept the inevitable paltry fine and suspended touchline ban that Uefa dishes out for seemingly every offence, in order to do everything in his power to ensure Real’s progression in the competition, and therefore safeguard his job. Yes people have questioned his integrity, but this is nothing new for Jose. During his tenure at Chelsea he was rumored to have, whilst serving a touchline ban, sneaked into the dressing room at half time in a laundry basket in order to deliver his team talk. It was also publicized that his assistant, Rui Faria, wore a headset under a hat in order to communicate with Mourinho during the match. So ‘The Special One’ clearly has no problem bending the rules to gain an advantage, and, honestly, can we blame him? The attitude that any measures can be taken to win has certainly paid off for him the past