

In one of the liveliest pre-match conferences of the season, Jose lifted morale and sent a timely reminder of his brilliance as a motivator.  This is why we love him. 

On being asked that he said he will reflect with his players on the match before reflecting with the press? 

Of course, I reflect with the players not with you.  I don’t have to say.  I had a meeting with the players and I don’t have to share with you. 

Did they react well to what you said?  Was their positivity after the meeting? 

Everybody spoke.  Not everybody, not one by one, but lots of people were speaking and we were discussing and we were very interactive and it was good.  But I am not going to tell to you. 

On Ibrahimovic’s 11 babies quote..

I keep saying to you and to many of you that I don’t comment what the other say because I have my opinion about things and I don’t need to know what other people thinks. 

My questions is (corrects) my point is, if you want to talk about Champions League, you have to go to Wenger or Pellegrino because they are in the Champions League.  They have one match to play and to win and to go to the quarter finals. 

We played eight matches, we lost zero but we were not good enough.  We didn’t make the result that we needed to go to the quarter-finals so we are out of the CL.  To speak now about the CL, me, my players and our people here is to speak about CL next season.  We need to finish top four.  If we want to be the head of the group with the new criterias with the next season, we need to be Champions.  We can’t be protected by the 16 points we did for England in this campaign.  These 16 points are important for England but not important for us. 

This is our focus, we have 11 matches to play in the PL, we want to be the champions to win the PL but also to be back in the CL in a position where we can be the head of the group (top seed). 

In context of PL moving forward if they [Chelsea players] surround the referee

(Jose interjects) if they surround the referee they are charged and we have to pay a fine and if we do that the players pay the fine.  We have in this moment eight or nine months of competition and we were charged once. 

Should it be noted that its just not Chelsea that do this but it happens throughout the game, would that be fair? 

Go to the PL and see how many teams were charged how many times.  I don’t know.  The only thing that I can say is that Chelsea were charged only once. 

Is it your responsibility to give players the mentality of coping with pressure? 

Its always my responsibility.  The people that lost, that was out of the CL is the same people who are top of the PL since day one, is the same people that won the Carling cup, is the same people that are going to win the PL.  We are exactly the same people. 

How do you ensure that the PL capaign doesn’t suffer as a result of what happened in the midweek? 

Why are you so pessimist in life?  It’s more difficult to succeed.  You have to be optimistic, you know.  Maybe you are a guy with great potential and you don’t move on because you are so pessimistic.  Be optimistic.  Believe in yourself.  Be optimistic, you know. 

We want to win against Southampton.  We have 11 matches to play, we have advantage of 5 points.  We have 1 match in hand.  We can’t promise we will win every game.  We can’t even promise that we will win the PL but we are optimistics [optimists].  You look very pessimistic.  I think you have to enjoy life in a different way. 

I feel pretty optimistic. 

OK, so move on man (the whole room laughs)

On Fabregas penalty incident earlier in the season against Southampton..

You know our story in the PL since that moment but we move on the referee moves on. 

Is it a concern that when you come in to the key games of the season , the title run in, some of those players (might not be able to cope up with the pressure]

(interjects) We are having key games since the beginning of the season.  I think its more difficult to start the season with same points as everybody than to play now with an advantage. 

We failed in the last game but the reality is we don’t lose a game since the Bradford game.  We lose only 2 games in the PL all season.  In the CL, maybe its a unique case to be out of the CL without a single defeat.  I am not like you and I am not like people in your area that, that the nature of your job is that you go with the wind (motions with hand) the wind blows to that side (points to one side), you go to that side.  The wind blows to that side (points to the other side), you go to that side.  I like my players and I trust my players when I win and when I lose.  I can’t be like the wind.  We lose together and and we win together. 

Our situation is better that anybody else.  Everyone would love to be in our position.  Yesterday I closed with the players the chapter of CL. 

How your players surrounded the referee I am presuming that’s not something you encourage, is it? 

The world is a bit strange maybe because of diets and maybe because of the quality of the products hat we are eating.  I think memories are getting shorter.  Because, when Jamie Carragher and Gream Souness speak about it (laughs), its because they are having a problem for sure. 



The game finished I was in the tunnel.  I told PSG palyers and coaches you deserve , good luck for the future and shook their hands.  This was the way we behave after a defeat and this is the example my players get after a defeat.  I put everybody together not just the players. 

If we win the PL, this season with the PL and Carling cup is a brilliant season. 

This is the way I am and this is the way I work.  I’m not like how people want me to be.  I’m not like how people sometimes like to describe me.  But really Jamie stopped playing a couple of years ago and in 2 years he forgot everything he did on the pitch. ( chuckles in the room) and Mr. Souness also forgot but he stopped playing for quite a long time and he also forget that a couple of years after he left Benfica, I coached Benfica.  I know a lot about him I know so much about him but I prefer to laugh.  But I prefer to say that the envy is the biggest tribute that the shadows do to the man. 

Any further injuries? 

No.  Look, my daughter told me after the game, maybe tomorrow we have a few injuries.  Why?  Because we lost, because people are sad.  I told the daughter I dont believe.  0 injuries. 

And the mental state of the players. 

Everybody wants to play.  Nobody is doing like what some journalists do when they write bullshit, the next press conf they don’t come (gigges around the room).  My players don’t do that, they want to play.