BRITISH PAPERS LAMBAST CHELSEA BULLY BOYS

LONDON – British newspapers and pundits rounded on Chelsea and manager Jose Mourinho yesterday following their Champions League elimination, branding them “a team who will never really be loved”.

Chelsea fell to French champions Paris Saint-Germain on away goals following a stormy and ill-tempered 2-2 draw in the second leg of their last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

The home side’s players came in for strong criticism after they surrounded referee Bjorn Kuipers in the aftermath of a first-half foul on Oscar by Zlatan Ibrahimovic that saw the PSG striker harshly shown a straight red card.

The Daily Mail called Chelsea “The Bully Boys”, using a photograph to flag up the fact that “NINE players” had encircled the Dutch official and describing their conduct as “deplorable ”.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter said “there will be little sorrow for their [Chelsea’s] departure outside Stamford Bridge”, beneath a headline branding the evening a “night of ignominy”.

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher laid the blame at Mourinho’s door, accusing the Portuguese of instilling a culture of gamesmanship at the club.

“Jose Mourinho could end up being the most successful manager ever with the trophies he goes on to win in his career, but I don’t think him and his teams

will ever be loved because of actions like that,” said the Sky Sports pundit.

His fellow pundit Graeme Souness added: “This PSG team is just full of technique, a really good footballing team, and they had to put up with stuff which I find really, really unappealing.”

Chelsea ’ s failure to seize the initiative after Ibrahimovic’s early dismissal was also criticised, with PSG continuing to boss proceedings despite playing with a numerical disadvantage for an hour and a half.