Lennon hits out at ‘hypocrisy’ over Mourinho reaction

Frustrated Hibernian boss Neil Lennon has criticised what he calls double standards and hypocrisy after pointing out the different reactions to his and Jose Mourinho’s touchline taunts.

The Easter Road manager was left furious when he was accused of goading a Hearts supporter into throwing a coin during last week’s Edinburgh derby.

His former Celtic teammate Gary Caldwell claimed Lennon “brings a lot of it on himself” after he was felled by a missile hurled from the Tynecastle support when he cheered a disallowed Jambos goal.

Lennon rejected that suggestion last week as he insisted he was targeted because he was a Northern Irish Catholic who had played for Celtic.

And he raised the issue again at his pre-match press conference ahead of tonight’s clash with Aberdeen after watching how Mourinho’s earcupping gesture following Manchester United’s lastgasp Champions League win over Juventus had failed to spark a similar kind of outcry.

He said: “I enjoyed Mourinho after the game, I knew exactly how he was feeling. But the reaction smacks of double standards and hypocrisy.

“The reaction to Jose was, ‘it’s banter, it’s fun, love it’. Up here it’s goading, inciting violence, inciting a riot.

“The whole narrative is frustrating.”