Mourinho: Foy should be kept away from Chelsea

Jose Mourinho believes the Premier League should not let Chris Foy officiate future Chelsea games after the defeat at Aston Villa.

The Premier League leaders’ title hopes suffered a setback when they were beaten 1-0 at Villa Park on Saturday, with Fabian Delph’s ingenious flick proving the difference between the two sides.

But the match was marred by controversy, notably when referee Foy dismissed Willian after 68 minutes for a harsh second bookable offence for a tug on Delph to the ground with the game goalless.

Foy then reduced Chelsea to nine men in the closing stages when Ramires was given his marching orders for a poor challenge on Karim El Ahmadi.

Chelsea manager Mourinho came onto the pitch after Ramires’ dismissal and was subsequently sent to the stands, with Foy rejecting the Portuguese’s request to explain that decision after the game.

Mourinho has now suggested that Foy should not referee matches involving the London club.

“Maybe it’s helpful that the (Premier League referees’) committee doesn’t send him (Foy) to our matches,” he said.

“I don’t have the right to request (that). It’s just I think they have to analyse the situation and see if every time he has Chelsea – or not every time – but many times he has Chelsea and problems are there, I think maybe it would be a good decision.

“The players were speaking about it (Foy being the referee) during the week. They have a reason.

“I never care who the ref is. I don’t want to know. But during the week the players were speaking about the situation and I think from now on the next time we have Mr Foy I have to work my people in a different way.”

Mourinho likened Saturday’s match to a Chelsea defeat at QPR in October 2011 under the stewardship of Andre Villas-Boas, a match that saw Foy send off Chelsea duo Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba.

“The last time I remember something similar was in a match at QPR’s stadium,” he added. “I didn’t know (that Foy was the referee). It’s a coincidence.”