Uefa Charge Jose Mourinho And Real Madrid Stars Over Red Card Debacle At Ajax

Ollie Irish

25th, November 2010

14 Comments

By Ollie Irish

And I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky kids

To my great surprise (and no little delight), UEFA have charged Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho after launching an investigation into whether Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso deliberately incurred red cards during Tuesday’s Champions League group match at Ajax.

Ramos and Alonso, along with alleged accomplices Jerzy Dudek and Iker Casillas, are also under investigation for improper conduct.

A statement from UEFA said: “UEFA has confirmed that a disciplinary case has been opened against Real Madrid for the improper conduct of coach Jose Mourinho and players Xabi Alonso, Sergio Ramos, Iker Casillas and Jerzy Dudek during the UEFA Champions League Group G match against AFC Ajax in Amsterdam on Tuesday.”

The case will be dealt with by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body on Tues. November 30.

There have been accusations that substitute keeper Dudek relayed a message from the Real bench – via Casillas – that Alonso and Ramos, having already been booked, should time-waste and get second yellows so as to get any ban out of the way before the knockout stages of the competition.

Uefa in ‘backbone’ shock. Who knew?

Posted in Champions League, Real Madrid

Share this article: Email

14 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    good but based on what evidence? the the “telephone relay game” that was shown on tv by dudek, casillas, et al.?
    though I want them charged, I think in light of the weak evidence, UEFA may open a Pandora’s box. In the end, based on circumstantial evidence, like a player faking an injury on the 86th minute when they are leading by a goal, can be a cause of an investigation.

  2. Logic says:

    @anonymous I think it’s great they are actually doing something about it. I think the evidence is clearly in the tape evidence that are further supported with the both of the player’s actions. I could 1 of theme getting the 2nd yellow for time wasting…but 2…come on man. I hope this does open some pandora’s box based on one word you included: “faking”. The only way you’re going to get the nonsense out of the game is to retroactively punish players for infractions. You can retroactively punish biting and headbutts…why not dives and clear abuses of the game?

  3. Mr Mago says:

    The thing is we all know it was done deliberately but there is absolutely no way UEFA or any of us can prove it, it’s their word against Real’s.

    I think what Mourinho did was unsportman like BUT it wasn’t against the rules and no one was injured, so in the scheme of things UEFA really should be looking at other problems they need to solve, such as their stubbornness to re assess wrongful sending offs (Fletcher against Arsenal in 2009). Also this isn’t the first time this has happened in the CL, so to me it looks like they are picking on Mourinho and Real.

  4. Nuno says:

    I’m just waiting to see what happens next… if they do charge them, I don’t think it’s gonna come any good out of it. Instead of time wasting, they could just have gone for a somewhat malicious tackle, given a second yellow and the result would be the same. Do you think that is a better option? I sure don’t think so… That just wouldn’t be so blatant and no one could accuse them.
    I think this will just continue to happen, managers have to play with the rules, it’s their job. Or instead of time wasting, next time they will just kick the ball far away when the game is stopped.

  5. yank says:

    Not Dudek!

  6. V says:

    I dont fancy this thing of “gaming” the rules; yet, I disagree with a sanction. If UEFA want to stop this kind of masterplay, the only plausible way is to change the rules: no yellow clearings after the group stage.

  7. fatcowxlive says:

    He shouldn’t get charged, we don’t know what he said, and anyways, it wouldn’t matter, as the special one just found a loophole in the system! It is not against the rules, they took too long they got punished, weather intentional or not.

  8. Runaway says:

    The thing is: he already did this with Porto the year they won the CL. Both Jorge Costa and Maniche got yellows in the same circumstances.

    Jorge Costa just got one for time wasting (leaned on the pole while scoring a goal kick) and Maniche kicked the ball to the stands while the other team was scoring a foul.

    It’s not news really. I just assume it’s because he’s in the position now that everything he does has to be analyzed by FIFA.Bottom line, If it was Cluj no one cared.

  9. pervertinho says:

    fatcowxlive, Runaway:
    you’re both spot on!

  10. Greg says:

    I’m not a Mourinho fan (in fact I can’t stand him!), but all that he’s done here is use the rules that are currently in place to his team’s advantage.

    And they’ve been able to do this because they’ve played well enough in the tournament to have already qualified, be 4-0 away from home and have a game left.

    Cheating? No.
    Sporting? No.
    Illegal? No.

  11. kipper says:

    How is Mourinho talking to Dudek talking to Casillas talking to Ramos evidence of foul play? Unless you’re suggesting that managers never normally communicate with their players during matches?!!

    No doubt UEFA will come up with some ridiculously disproportionate punishment, merely because it’s Mourinho & Madrid, and in the future someone will have their career ended by a player fouling them to gain that key yellow.

  12. […] launched an investigation into the allegations of gamesmanship and saw fit to charge both Ramos and Alonso along with the brains of the operation, coach Jose Mourinho – a […]

  13. CFC_Jay says:

    In all fairness as its not against the rules nor illegal, its infact clever thinking from Real Madrid!

    In this day and age when bookings get handed out left right and centre for even the most softest of challenges, yellow cards for time wasting is joke. Why dont the refs just use common sense and just say “fair enough player…..time waste all you want but i will just increase the length of injury time double what you are wasting….” Problem solved! :)

  14. jamja says:

    Why did the chicken cross the road? – football managers explain
    Arsene Wenger
    “From my position in the dug-out I did not see the incident clearly so I cannot really comment. However, I do think that he gets picked on by opposition players and fans who are clearly chickenophobic.”

    David O’Leary
    “To be fair, he’s just a baby chicken really and crossing the road is just a big exciting adventure for him. He’ll enjoy the experience as long as it lasts and learn from it, but I don’t seriously expect him to cross it this season.”

    Sir Alex Ferguson
    “As far as I’m concerned he crossed the road at least a minute early according to my watch.”

    George Graham
    “I want good, solid team chickens who’ll cross the road in a straight line when they’re told and how they’re told. There’s no room at this club for a prima donna chicken running around aimlessly – he’s not worth it!”

    Gianluca Vialli
    “When the fish are down, he’ll just be one of the chaps. It doesn’t matter to me whether he’s an Italian, French or English chicken as long as he’s willing to die on the pitch for Chelsea.”

    Peter Reid
    “Just cross the f***ing road, you chicken f***!”

    Glenn Hoddle
    “The chicken was hit by the lorry when crossing the road because in a previous life it had been a bad chicken.”

    Brian Clough
    “If God had wanted chickens to cross roads he’d have put corn in the tarmac. Anyway, I’m more interested in Wild Turkey.”

    Ron Atkinson
    “Spotter’s badge, Clive. For me, Chicko’s popped up at the back stick, little eyebrows, and gone bang! And I’ll tell you what – I’ve got a sneaking feeling that this road’s there to be crossed.”

    Ruud Gullit
    “I am hoping to see some sexy poultry.”

    Gordon Strachan
    “I’m really proud of the wee fella. Let’s face it, if it had been one of the big chickens everyone would be saying how well he’d done, but as it’s one of the wee chickens it must be luck.”

    John Gregory
    “Two months ago that chicken was saying he was happy here. Now he tells me he wants to cross the road. I feel like shooting him.”

    Kevin Keegan
    “OK, so the chicken’s dead, but I still feel, hey, he can go all the way to the other side of the road.”

Leave a Reply to pervertinho