Furious Mourinho blasts ‘play-acting’ Rudiger

He also took aim at Rudiger’s response to being kicked, with the Blues defender falling down clutching his stomach (right).

“That is what I said on Sunday,’’ he said. “In some countries, and especially Latin cultures – you go to Latin America, Portugal, Spain and Italy – that happens.

“It is a cultural thing, but not in the Premier League, and the moment we try to punish the reaction of some players, insignificant reactions, but you try to punish, and you let it go the other one, it is because then you become part of it.

“That’s why I was trying to joke and making a bit of fun about it. Come on, do you think Rudiger plays the next game or do you think he’s injured? I think he plays. And we speak about Son and don’t speak about him.”

Despite the defeat by their Champions League qualification rivals, Mourinho has vowed to coach Spurs out of their defensive problems rather than dip into January’s transfer market.

Sunday’s loss means Spurs have kept just one clean sheet in their last nine games in all competitions. But Mourinho said: “Sunday hasn’t changed my mind.

“I am at Tottenham Hotspur. I know the profile of the club, I know the project, I know the vision, I know the objectives and I know that we will react in the transfer market . “Like I was saying, if a player leaves we need to adapt to it. ‘‘But we are never going to be the kings of the market, attacking important targets, fighting with clubs that are ready by their profile and philosophy to splash the cash and go for important targets.

“We need to do our things in an intelligent way, a creative way, and I repeat: I like the players that I have here.”