Coaching Job Should Be By Merit, “No Racism in Football”- Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes football does not discriminate against quality when it comes to appointing managers.

The Portuguese was responding to questions concerning the possibility of adopting the ‘Rooney rule’ in English football.

“There is no racism in football,” the 51-year-old said on Friday. “If you are good you are good. If you are good you get the job.”

The rule was introduced in the National Football League (NFL) in 2003 to ensure minority candidates- especially African Americans- were considered for top coaching jobs and senior football operation jobs.

Mourinho Says Costa Will Be Able to Play Against Arsenal. Image: Chelsea via Getty.
Mourinho Says Costa Will Be Able to Play Against Arsenal. Image: Chelsea via Getty.

The introduction of the “Rooney rule’ has led to an improvement in the number of African Americans coaching in the NFL.

But Mourinho opines there shouldn’t be sentiment in recruiting personnel at the top of football.

“If you are good you prove that you deserve the job, and football is not stupid to close doors to top people. If you are top, you are top,” Mourinho added.

Dan Rooney-owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and chairman of the NFL’s diversity committee, the key architect of the NFL rule- believes British football “has nothing to lose” by adopting a similar regulation.

Mourinho’s Chelsea to remain flawless against Wenger’s Arsenal

Chelsea entertain Arsenal on Sunday and will look to secure their 6 points advantage over their north London neighbours.

Mourinho has never lost as an opposition coach against Arsene Wenger in an competition, with Chelsea dominating the ‘Gunners’ over the years (W:6, D:5: L:0).

In the corresponding fixture in March, Arsenal were drubbed 6-0. Mourinho is rest assured his team will maintain their unbeaten start to the season but described last season’s emphatic win as a once in a blue moon scenario.

He said: “6-0 is once every 50 years, it’s not year after year. It’s something that happens occasionally. And me against Arsene Wenger? I never had the pleasure to play one against one against him – beach soccer or something – I never had that pleasure.

“It was always between Chelsea and Arsenal, and even that doesn’t play an important part in Sunday’s game. It’s isolated, out of context. What happened in the past, happened in the past. This is another match.

“Can we win again? Yes we can, but it’s a big match against a very good team and a difficult one.

“I like to play against the best. The players like it too. Sometimes we are worried about the focus and the approach, but when you play big matches you know the players are more than ready for that.”

Mourinho says the possible reception former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas might receive from traveling supporters at Stamford Bridge is of trivial consequence.

“The reaction from Arsenal fans- nobody listens,” Mourinho said. “If 40,000 Chelsea fans want, nobody will listen to what 3,000 in red do. I think the feeling should be a good one between him and Arsenal supporters.”

The manager revealed Costa is able to play against Arsenal after disclosing last month that the striker was not able to play three matches in a week and his situation would be carefully monitored to aid his recovery from a hamstring injury picked up on international duty.

Costa has as well been named in Spain’s squad for their Euro 2016 qualifier against Solvakia and Luxembourg next week and Mourinho says he “has no reaction” to that.

“My reaction to the news that he’s in the Spanish squad is to have no reaction because it’s something I could already imagine,” he said. “It’s not a surprise for me.

“Can he play three matches in a week? I think it’s too much, but he’s going to do that. And why is he going to do that? Because I’m not going to save him to be in perfect condition for the national team.

“This week we have three very important matches. The Champions League match was crucial for us after a bad result at home. We needed that victory away so I had to go with everything and everybody. It is an important match against Arsenal, and being the last one with that busy period with the club, he plays.

“He had the match in Lisbon, he will have had these four days in between, so he will be in an okay condition. What happens in the 15 days after that [with his national team] is not my responsibility.”