Mourinho plays blame game

Jose Mourinho singled out the referee and midfielder Sami Khedira for blame after his Real Madrid side lost 1-0 at Levante on Sunday.

Real lost Khedira to a second yellow card after he was involved in a touchline altercation at Estadi Ciutat de Valencia, with Arouna Kone bagging the winner for the underdogs in the 68th minute.

Mourinho believes referee Javier Turienzo Alvarez should have awarded Real a penalty and sent off Vicente Iborra for an alleged handball inside the area in the 62nd minute.

“The match evened out once we were down to ten men,” Mourinho said.

“The game ended once they scored.”

“We played well in the beginning. Our opponent didn’t enter our half of the pitch and (Iker) Casillas didn’t even touch the ball,” he added, referring to Real’s goalkeeper.

“We had great chances to score and we failed to capitalise on them because the pitch was in bad shape and Levante defended fiercely.”

“We dominated the match at times.”

“There was a clear penalty that wasn’t awarded to us and it would have also meant that player’s second booking.”

“If we had scored and they had been left with ten men the game would have been different.”

Mourinho claimed his players struggled to cope with Levante’s tactics and the atmosphere in the stadium.

“I don’t want to detract merit from Levante, who always do very well when they are allowed to play their game at their stadium,” he said.

“I congratulate them for being clever.”

“They know how to waste time and how to not give the ball back … our players don’t feel comfortable in this sort of habitat and Levante know it.”

The Portuguese coach was also disappointed with Germany international Khedira for becoming involved in the incident that led to his dismissal.

“My player knows about these situations and fell for the trap,” he said.

“That’s why I make him partly responsible for the defeat and I don’t have a problem doing so.”

“But the referee is also to blame. It’s too much to forgive a penalty and a red card.”

“An important part of the meeting I had with my players today covered similar images to those of Khedira’s red card.”

“I didn’t think one of my players could fall for such a trap. You prepare for games as best as you can and this is the response you get.”