Jose Mourinho believes he was a victim of FIFA corruption

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho celebrates after winning the Barclays Premier League.
Image by: Adam Holt / REUTERS

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has repeated his conviction that he may have been the victim of corruption when he finished runners up to Vicente del Bosque for the FIFA World Coach of the Year 2002.

According to the Telegraph, after Mourinho’s experience in finishing second to del Bosque in the poll voted for by national coaches, captains and journalists, the Portuguese manager does not appear surprised by any claims about FIFA bribery scandals.

“…My former player, a national team captain, called me: ‘Mister, there is something wrong. Because obviously, obviously, I gave you the vote, then in the list they put another coach’s name and that was not me.

“A few minutes later my Portuguese friend, a national team coach, called me: ‘Mister, don’t believe what you see in the list because obviously I vote for you.’ And a few minutes later I got a message from another national coach, ‘they changed my vote’. Who changed the vote? His federation? Fifa? Who?, asked the former Inter Milan manager.

These various exchanges led Mourinho to conclude that Fifa indeed had a role in fixing votes.