Schedule frustrates Mourinho

CHELSEA manager Jose Mourinho has warned the Premier League and broadcasters they could be shooting themselves in the foot if concessions are not made for clubs competing in the latter stages of European competition.

Chelsea, the 2012 European Cup and 2013 Europa League winners, are England’s last team standing in Europe for a third successive season and play Atletico Madrid in Wednesday’s Champions League semi- final second leg.

The Blues are understood to have approached Liverpool, the Premier League and broadcaster Sky to float the idea of Sunday’s titanic tussle being brought forward.

The prospect of the match taking place today was dismissed, leaving Mourinho seething and urging for future change, even though Chelsea, like the 19 other clubs, are happy to accept the multi- million pounds of revenue offered by broadcasters.

“Every club does,” Mourinho said. “Maybe until one day, for seven, eight, nine, 10 years you don’t have a European champion or you don’t have a team in the semi- finals of competitions, and the people who pay the big sums say: ‘ The big teams and the most important teams in Europe are not here ( in the Premier League)’.

“If next season Chelsea plays against an English team that is playing the Champions League semi- final two or three days later, Chelsea will accept to play the game one or two days before to give the chance to that English team to have more conditions to do it.

“At that time we would be protecting English football without creating any problem for Chelsea Football Club.”