Emotional Mourinho tells journalists to ´tell the truth´ over officials treatment

An emotional Jose Mourinho demanded the media “tell the truth” over what he perceives to be preferential treatment afforded to rival managers from officials.

The Manchester United manager showed his frustration by walking out of a television interview following the Red Devils’ frustrating goalless draw against Hull City at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Mourinho was equally riled when conducting his post-match news conference and launched an outburst when asked if Hull’s Oumar Niasse should have been sent off by referee Mike Jones following an apparent stamp on Michael Carrick and later a foul on Daley Blind.

The Portuguese claimed it is the job of journalists to give their opinions on such incidents.

“I do not want to speak about the referee and decisions. Because if I speak, I am punished and I do not want to be punished,” Mourinho said.

“I do not understand why you ask me this kind of question. If I was in your place then I would not ask the manager. I would just say and write what I see, what I think, what is my opinion. If I was on your side I would not ask the Manchester United manager. Game after game, I would just write what is happening.

“Maybe your industry is going in another direction, I do not know, but for me journalism is to say the truth. Tell the truth, you simply have to tell the truth.

“If you go game after game with Manchester United and see what happened here with Manchester City, what happened here with Burnley, with West Ham, with Stoke and almost everywhere, then you do the job and it is a public service I think. Tell the truth, it is as simple as that.

“If that is to say that Manchester United did not play well in the first half then so be it. We should have played better in the first half than we did, but tell the truth. Do not ask me questions I cannot answer.”

In his television interviews, Mourinho hinted that officials are hypocritical with how they treat him compared to other managers and made a clear reference to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s exchange with fourth official Neil Swarbrick in their 1-1 draw at Chelsea on Tuesday.

And Mourinho made similar claims at the news conference, adding: “Yesterday [Tuesday], one manager was told by the fourth official, ‘I love your emotion and, because I love your emotion, no problem.’ I was told to sit down or I have to sit in the stands.”