Luis Garcia (above) blasted home a volley from some 25 yards out in the 26th minute of Liverpool’s Champions League QF tie with Juventus, said goal providing the difference in the Reds’ 2-1 victory. The match, the first meeting between the two sides since the tragic 1985 European Cup Final, was apparently blacked out in Poland, so as not to interfere with round-the-clock observence of His Holiness’ shuffling off this mortal coil. Juventus collecting a vital away goal on a Fabio Cannavaro header in the 63rd minute, which will loom large when the teams meet again in Turin a week from tomorrow.
Banned from tomorrow night’s quarterfinal match against Bayern Munich, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, perhaps the finest walking soap-opera in the sporting universe over the past 12 months, is said to be pissed off with his employers for their failure to mount an appeal of his suspension. From Tuesday’s Guardian.
The cracks in the Chelsea manager’s relationship with the club hierarchy were confirmed today by his assistant Baltemar Brito who also revealed the banned coach will watch the first leg “away from the stadium”.
Brito revealed Mourinho, given a two-game touchline by Uefa for bringing the game into disrepute for controversial comments he made during and after the previous Champions League clash with Barcelona, will watch the game in a “private place” on television and there will be no contact with the bench via mobile phone or other forms of communication.
It has been suggested Mourinho’s Chelsea future was in doubt because he was angry at the club’s failure to launch an appeal against his ban and Brito did nothing to silence the persistent rumours when asked about the matter at the pre-match press conference.
He said: “When Jose comes to a club or starts a new job, he gives 100% and expects 100% back. It is something you would have to ask Jose directly but I acknowledge that Jose felt he did not get 100% back.
“Jose is feeling really good right now but in respect of him not being there, he’s not too happy because he feels slightly hard done by around the ban situation and so for that reason, he is not too happy.”
Brito went on to confirm Mourinho had taken the decision to watch the game away from the ground even though he is entitled to be there. Uefa will not be placing minders on the Chelsea coach to prevent him sending messages to the bench but Brito said the coaching team had no special tricks up their sleeves.
“It was just his decision to stay away,” confirmed Brito. “He will watch the match on television. Jose will be in a private place on his own – a very peaceful place. There will be no contact with his members of staff. He will be away from the stadium.