‘My medical department were impulsive and naïve’
Chelsea's Jose Mourinho, who hoped to celebrate his new contract with victory at an expectant Stamford Bridge, ended up grateful his team did not become the first Premier League champions to start their title defence with a defeat.
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Yet after managing to hold on to a 2-2 draw against Swansea City with 10 men after goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was sent off with 35 minutes left, the Chelsea manager sounded far more aggrieved with his medical staff than his players.
The Portuguese, who signed a new four-year deal on Friday, had no complaints about his team's performance as they repelled Garry Monk's inspired side who tried to become the second team to win a league game at the Bridge in Mourinho's two reigns.
Yet he became angry and animated right at the end of the match when Chelsea's medical staff rushed to treat forward Eden Hazard with his team still vulnerable to defeat.
"I wasn't very happy with my medical staff because you have to understand the game," Mourinho told Sky Sports.
"When you go to the pitch to assist a player, you have to be sure the player has a serious problem. And I was sure that Eden hadn't a serious problem.
"He'd had a knock, he was very tired and my medical department in their impulse were naive and left me with eight outfield players, and in a counter-attack after a set piece we were with two players less."
After Mourinho's temper cooled, it was clear as he addressed reporters that the Portuguese was not overly impressed with some of the calls made by referee Michael Oliver, particularly the Courtois sending off and the penalty given to Swansea for the keeper's edge-of-the-box foul on Bafetimbi Gomis.
"I do not want to speak about red cards," he said, though he could still not resist suggesting Chelsea had been ‘punished’.
Following his magnetic attraction to controversy last term, Mourinho was asked if this 'no comment' approach would be his new modus operandi which brought a laugh. "No, it's just because (it's) the first time I can control myself!" he said.
"I want to react this way so you don't say. 'He was complaining from day one'. In day one we were punished, but it was not on day one that I opened my mouth."
