Mourinho stays away as Real go out but Ronaldo reignites 'cheats' row

Barcelona reach Champions League final with 1-1 draw however 'outraged' visitors have Higuain goal disallowed

Jose Mourinho failed to turn up and Cristiano Ronaldo branded Barcelona cheats as Real Madrid went out of the Champions League cursing more perceived refereeing injustices.

Ronaldo and Xabi Alonso complained bitterly after the game as Barcelona drew 1-1 on the night to reach the final 3-1 on aggregate. The suspended Mourinho did his complaining from the team hotel, having chosen not even to sit in the stands at the Nou Camp.

Banned from the touchline, the Real coach was expected to take his place in the directors' box but there was a no-show from the Special One and his No 2, Aitor Karanka, claimed not to know where he had watched the match.

Mourinho had stayed in Barcelona's Rey Juan Carlos hotel to watch the second leg, leaving him free from Uefa officials trying to prevent him making contact with his coaching staff. He did the same against Bayern Munich in 2005 when banned as Chelsea coach.

"He was not on the bench and he has not been in the dressing room but he spoke to the players at the end of the match" Karanka said. Despite his absence, Mourinho still managed to communicate his fury at the manner of Real's exit. "He is really outraged about what he has seen in the last few games. Whenever we were 11 against 11 we matched them," Karanka added.

Those sentiments were echoed most vehemently by Ronaldo who said: "The name of this match for us was 'mission impossible four'. This is nothing new; we knew that if we scored one everything would change. [Gonzalo] Higuain scored and it was legal." The referee disagreed, however, and the Argentine's goal was ruled out for a foul by Ronaldo on Javier Mascherano in the build-up.

Asked about the former Liverpool player, Ronaldo said. "He [Mascherano] did not learn that at Liverpool. He learned all his cheating tricks at Barcelona. I have never seen him do that once at Liverpool. They ruled out a goal that could have changed the tie but we knew that would happen."

Replays appeared to show Ronaldo had been pushed by Gerard Pique and fell accidentally into Mascherano. Karanka said injustices had blighted both games. "Everyone saw what happened, so again the images speak for themselves" he said. When pushed on Mourinho's whereabouts, he said: "We talked before the game but he was not allowed to talk during the match. He congratulated everyone after the final whistle."

The Mourinho no-show came amid fears for his security. Real officials had wanted the coach in his own special box but Barcelona had only offered seats in the directors' box close to Barça fans.

Alonso also complained bitterly about the referee decisions: "Over the two legs the referees let us down. The goal should have stood tonight and the sending-off was wrong in the first leg. We feel let down by the officiating. Mourinho was right when he said after the first leg that it would be impossible to go through. That was the way it turned out."

The disallowed goal changed the game because Barcelona immediately went up the other end and with Andres Iniesta releasing Pedro they scored the goal that effectively put the game beyond Real.

Mourinho's side fought back and Marcelo equalised on the night but Barcelona held out to return to Wembley where they won their first European Cup in 1992. Pep Guardiola had promised Barcelona fans a place in the final at the end of last season and his side delivered.

He played down the relevance of Wembley. "There is no special excitement about it. There would be if it were the old one with all the nostalgia of the old stadium and having won it there," Guardiola said.

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Latest in Sport
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

New day (slowly) rising – As Brasileirão gets underway, Brazilian football stumbles, rather than leaps into the future

The average Serie A crowd last year was 13,000 - comparable to Australia’s A-League.

by James Young

iBet: Mercedes and Hamilton to roar in Monaco

Monaco is a street circuit where driver ability is more important than anywhere else and if we take ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages

Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...

by Martin Ayres

       

Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions

He's worked with Modest Mouse, the Pet Shop Boys and Beck, to name a few, and recently released his first solo album. So why, wonders Johnny Marr, do people still hark on about The Smiths?
After the flood: From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands

In pictures: After the flood

From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands
Death becomes her: Meet the very modern mortician who champions 'cool' funerals

Death becomes her: A very modern mortician

Ever considered baking a loved one's remains into a cake or putting their ashes in fireworks? If so, talk to Caitlin Doughty, champion of the alternative death industry.
How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

At first it seemed clever and cute. Then the 'Keep Calm' motif went mad, spawning endless offshoots.
The man who built Brum: A lament for the demise of John Madin's Brutalist Birmingham

John Madin: The man who built Brum

The architect's buildings were supposed to leave an indelible, futuristic mark on his beloved hometown but they are now being inexorably torn down.
School of chop: Learning the art of butchery at the Ginger Pig

School of chop: Learning the art of butchery

How do you butcher a lamb? Or make Mexican street food in a British kitchen? Christopher Hirst finds out.
James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats