Jose Mourinho has made it clear he disapproved of some tactics employed by striker Luis Suarez in Chelsea’s 2-1 victory against Liverpool this past weekend, with the Chelsea boss branding the striker an “acrobatic diver”.
Speaking in an interview after the match, Mourinho said: “One of the things we have good in this country is we don’t like simulation. It’s not good for our game. [César] Azpilicueta had the ball, he was leaving the box, and now Suárez is doing an acrobatic swimming pool jump to try and get the penalty because he’s so clever he knows he’s in the penalty area right in front of the Liverpool supporters.
“I hate players who try to provoke situations, and he tries too much to provoke these situations. Suárez lost that duel with Azpilicueta, Eto’o comes in and it looks like somebody shot him [Suárez] in the back. [Howard] Webb is 10 metres away and the only mistake he made was not giving him a yellow card.”
Suarez has come under much scrutiny in the past for his underhanded tactics while on the pitch, including an incident last season when he bit Chelsea’s Ivanovic. Speaking of that incident, Mourinho said: “Everybody makes mistakes. This was a big thing, but Iva thinks it’s something from the past. Everyone moves on – he’s moved on. I think Iva is a big guy. When I say ‘big guy’, I mean big, strong heart, big strong personality. He’s not a Mickey Mouse player who complains at little things.”
Watch a portion of Mourinho’s post-match interview below.
Photo: Getty Images
