Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho took a subtle swipe at his former team Chelsea in his post Leicester City press briefing today. He also fired a shot at German Bundesliga monopolists Bayern Munich in his pre-match media availabilities.
Obviously, the Portugese is in a really feisty mood this weekend, even by his standards.
Mourinho pointed out that the days of just simply buying the best players from your rivals, and killing off competition within your league is now long over. It was a staple of Sir Alex Ferguson, and a big reason why United was able to take on that New York Yankees, New England Patriots, The DeathStar type vibe to rival fans.
When you’re using all your vast financial resources to buy up everyone’s else best players, of course there’s going to be resentment and repulsion.
“That is the new football. When previously you were speaking about Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, this is not Germany,” Mourinho told English Papers in quotes published on Saturday night.
Then he took a proverbial swing at Bayern for scavenging other teams.
“In Germany, Bayern Munich start winning the league in the summer. They go to Borussia Dortmund every year and buy their best player. One day they go there and get Robert Lewandowski. The next year, they go there, Mario Gotze. The next year they go there, Mats Hummels. So they win the league in the summer.
“Do you think I can go to Tottenham and bring two Tottenham players to kill Tottenham? I cannot. I cannot go to Arsenal and bring the two best Arsenal players. I cannot go to Chelsea and bring two of the players that I love very very much. That time is over.”
“That time is over so the situation of starting being champion by attacking your direct opponents in this country is over. It is over and if you get a player from these clubs, you get a player that club does not want to keep. You cannot hurt any more your direct opponents.”
“Obviously Real Madrid sell who they want to sell, Barcelona sell who they want to sell, Bayern Munich sell who they want to sell, Paris Saint-Germain sell who they want to sell. So then it is more difficult to have a very good market.”
Okay Bayern Munich, shots have been fired your way.
It’s your turn now to respond; or not respond.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, Bold and the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication, appears regularly as a guest on CGTN America, WGN CLTV News and KOZN.
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