Madrid: Jose Mourinho has vehemently denied launching an astonishing attack on England manager Fabio Capello in a British tabloid.
The outspoken Real Madrid coach was quoted by a tabloid on Wednesday as claiming that England under Capello would never win a major tournament.But in a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesman from Madrid Mourinho later rubbished the article, insisting it was "completely false".
The Mirror had quoted Mourinho as saying: "The problem is the manager. Capello will not work for England."
"He has a one-track relationship with players."
"Ask anyone here at Real Madrid. He can`t change. You cannot go around just shouting at players. They need to feel special."
"It is clear. Capello will not work for England. He does not know the players. They are frightened of him and they can`t play for him."
"For me, it is a mess for England. Players need clear tactics."
"They cannot be confused about what they have to do."
"It is the manager`s fault. And it is a big shame."Mourinho`s denial, issued later Wednesday by spokesman Eladio Parames to Spanish media, said: "The interview published today by The Daily Mirror is completely false."
"Jose Mourinho never spoke to the newspaper, that`s why he categorically denies having said what was written."
Parames added that Mourinho was considering legal action against the Mirror.
The paper also quoted Mourinho as slamming his successor at Inter Milan, Rafael Benitez, saying the Spaniard`s stewardship of Liverpool had seen the north-west club become a progressively weaker force in the English game.
"It is very difficult for Roy (Hodgson, the new Liverpool manager) to do it with Liverpool as, over the last few years, they have been getting worse, worse and worse," Mourinho said.
"The Liverpool of 2004 was better than the Liverpool of 2005, 2005 was better than 2006 and 2006 better than 2007."
"And they arrive at a situation now where, but for Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard, Pepe Reina, Fernando Torres, if his head is there, it is very difficult for Roy to make Liverpool champions."
"He needs time and it`s not easy because I don`t think they went in the right direction."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.